Pieces and Chances
by Kate-Emma
Summary: Complete - The crew of the Hammersley blunder into a siege gone wrong on the small archipelago of Libertile, a small island in the Pacific. International boundaries are crossed. Will everyone survive?
1. Pieces and Chances

**Pieces and Chances  
**

Summary; The crew of the Hammersley blunders into a siege gone wrong on the small archipelago of Libertile, a small island in the Pacific. While the island nation is believed to be peaceful, little does anyone know that a revolt has started. But not the kind of revolt that Samaru faced, a tiny one that cost a few lives, this one could create a world war. Especially when the United States and French governments are revealed to know about the whole thing, and even compete in it. Will a new world war begin right under the Hammersley's nose?

Rate; PG for references to swearing and violence.

Disclaimer; I don't own the crew or ships mentioned in this fic. All ships (minus the Hammersley of course) are true Australian Navy ships. All anti-American and anti-French stigma are not echoed by the author, this site or anywhere else this is published.


	2. Chapter 1: What We Find

**Disclaimer;** All characters and ships in this chapter are not mine. In fact, almost nothing in this is mine! Lol.

Chapter One;  
What We Find

"Sir, it's that boat from yesterday." Nav turned and looked up at the CO. It was a little after 9pm and most of the crew had left the bridge. The only ones left up top were Nav, the CO and Alexander 'Pierce' Brosnan who was manning the EOD. The two men looked up at the sound of Nav's voice. The CO leant closer to the radar and saw that Nav was correct. He glanced at Pierce, but the Able Seaman already had the boat up on the EOD. It was their boat. They'd been following the pleasure craft for over a day now, lost it for a while in rough seas, and now they'd found it again. They'd suspected the boat of carrying weapons and now they found themselves heading closer and closer to the small island nation of Libertile. "Sir, they've stopped." Nav said suddenly, but the CO had already seen it on the EOD. Nav pushed herself away from the radar and watched them over Pierce's shoulder. The men were clearly carrying something onto the beach, and the CO suspected it was the weapons. "What do we do?" Nav asked as the men disappeared into the trees, having finished unloading.

The CO stood up. "Nothing until morning, then we send out the boarding party." He frowned at the EOD, wondering what was in the trunks and why, after all this time, their attention was suddenly focused on Libertile.

* * *

"Away sea boat." The X called up to the bridge.

On the bridge deck Charge stood watching them. "Away sea boat." He called back. With a lurch the RHIB began it's descent into the water. On the zodiac were the X, Buffer, Swain, Bomber, Spider and Pierce. It was a little overcrowded, but they knew better to squash up than risk drawing attention to themselves with two boats. As if the Hammersley off the coast wasn't obvious enough. But at the same time they worried about the safety and so all six were prepared for the worst. As they reached the beach, their guns held high, they noticed the boat. It was silent and bobbing in the water. There seemed to be no movement inside. Nonetheless, the X sent Buffer and Spider to investigate. The X and the others went ashore to find the boxes. Swain strode off with Bomber and the X set off with Pierce. After 10 minutes Swain's voice came across. "Got them ma'am."

The X followed his directions to a small pile of boxes, about three in total, and noticed Buffer and Spider had joined them. She motioned to them and slowly Pierce, Bomber and Spider began to crack them open. The X stood over one as Spider pushed the lid off, but she was disrupted by a voice.

"Ma'am." Buffer held something aloft. Clearly it was a weapon, but not the type they had seen before. The X didn't need to be shown though, the box near her foot had yielded it's own. She lifted the weapon aloft and the men gasped. The X frowned at it. Bomber looked confused. Spider went a little further than the others and spoke. "What the f…"

Bomber cut across him in her usual way, but this time it was for Spider's own good as swearing was frowned upon highly in the ADF. "It's a crossbow?" She thought aloud.

They all looked at Buffer for information as he seemed to be the source of all things military, but he just frowned. They looked back at the crossbow as the X moved it around in her hand. Then a voice spoke and they all looked up expectedly, but it was Swain not Buffer who was speaking. "The Premier Regiment Parachutiste d'Infanterie de Marine." He said quietly, his eyes locked on the crossbow.

Now expressions changed, the men and X looked confused while it was now Bomber who gasped. "No." She muttered, now looking at the crossbow in much the same fashion Swain was.

The X frowned. "Will one of you tell me what you're talking about?"

It was Bomber. "The First Marine Parachute Regiment." Bomber translated, having already proved herself as the team's fluent French speaker. Finally the others got it, with only Spider left looking confused (not a rare occurrence), and the X raised her radio to her mouth.

"Papa 82, this is X-Ray 82. There's something very wrong here. We've discovered they're using crossbows. Swain mentioned the First Marine Parachute Regiment. Confirm this was a French archipelago."

RO's voice came through. "Affirmative ma'am."

The X looked to the others. "Alright, we're out of here. Back to the RH…" But she was cut off before they could move.

"Arrêter. Réprimez vos fusils, vous êtes entourés." A voice said. They turned, guns raised, and a man stood there holding a crossbow to the head of the nearest person. This happened to be Bomber.

The others didn't know what he'd said, but when Bomber dropped her gun they guessed the generals of it. They were surrounded. He spoke again and Bomber translated. "He says if you call the ship he'll… he'll shoot." They lowered their guns just a little and took a step back. Well, all except their youngest member, the Seaman's eyes trained on the man like he was going to kill him. But he knew better and his eyes darted between the man's and Bomber's. Both told him to get back. Eventually he did. It was a good move as, standing this close, not even Bomber's Kevlar vest and thick helmet could help her.

"Ma'am." Buffer whispered in the X's ear. "2 o'clock."

X glanced to her right and saw the four men advancing on them from the trees. They turned on them quickly, as did the others, but then something moved to their left. There was the sound of a scuffle, Pierce yelled and Bomber screamed. Around her the X watched as everything went to hell…


	3. Chapter 2: Men Of Wounded Time

**Disclaimer; **As before, all persons and ships in this chapter aren't mine, they belong to others. Again, all views expressed in this chapter are not echoed by the sites on which they are published.

Chapter Two;  
Men of Wounded Time

The crew of the boarding party stepped back onto the Hammersley, their wounded hobbling and carried amongst them. Apart from Rhino, there were 5 men (and women) re-boarding. They were a member down. The Captain's eyes scanned the crew and he realized who was lost. He frowned at the X, who herself was hobbling on what the CO could see was a badly twisted ankle, and she looked up at him with a shake of her head. They led her and Spider, who was sporting an arrow in his hip, into the depths of the ship to be analyzed. The CO left the nervous-looking RO and Nav, who was chewing on her lip, and went downstairs. Buffer and Archie met him there. Buffer strode forward to talk.

"Swain says they'll both be fine." He explained.

"What happened?" The CO asked, frowning back into the room where Swain was now analyzing the arrow embedded in the young Seaman's hip. It didn't look too deep and Spider didn't flinch as he moved, but the Captain put that down more to the look of extreme hate and internal pain etched across his face.

Buffer sighed. "They ambushed us. Made us look right, came left. They already had Bomber, grabbed Pierce and Spider too. The men shook their captors off, but we were surrounded. When we looked back they'd dragged Bomber off. The X was grabbed, pushed, but she fought him off. That was how she got the ankle injury. Spider ran off in the direction of Bomber's voice. We found him 5 minutes later, after the other hostiles ran off, in that predicament." He motioned lazily to the still silent sailor.

The CO frowned. "The French version of the Navy SEAL or SAS. Did you know that Buffer?"

Buffer shook his head. "Never heard of them before Swain mentioned them. I don't know how he knows about them though."

The CO glanced up at the busy medic, not eager to disrupt his work on Spider's injury. "But if they were really them you'd all be dead, so it wasn't them."

Buffer frowned. "You don't think they were military trained? They knew their stuff. Flank formations, leap-frogging." He mentioned the military tactic of moving forward one at a time to fire, so as allowing the first firer to reload behind the others. It protected the group and gave them valuable land without wasting precious time. He hadn't seen it done in a while, not exactly the art of the Navy and certainly not something your basic hostile did. That was what scared him most. They weren't your normal hostile. They were better.

"Again, if they were you'd be dead. No, I think it was just a case of handing them weapons and telling them the basics. It's just like the French to leave someone else to get their hands dirty on their behalf." He sighed. "I've contacted base and Sydney, they're sending help and looking into it. This is way above us, but I'm not leaving without Bomber back on board." He smiled sadly at Buffer. "The crew will agree with me I'm sure."

Buffer nodded. "100 sir." He turned and walked away with Archie, who had been watching the exchange with a frown. He hadn't been on the RHIB and so knew nothing of what was happening. The CO strode into the room where Spider sat staring at the wall with a pout on his face, his expression cold and slightly broken, and the X sat holding a frozen pack on her ankle. She gave him a frown as he walked in.

"Sir, we…" She started, trying to explain.

He held up a hand. "Buffer's told me everything X, you did all you could." X's shoulders slumped and she looked at her ankle as the CO continued. "We're not leaving here without Bomber, no matter who they are."

Spider's head lifted at the statement from the CO and the cold glaze from his eyes fell. But he didn't move at all but his chest moved rapidly as if he were stopping himself from doing something. Thinking something, the CO guessed, about what had happened out there on the island.

The X sighed loudly. "What have he walked into sir?"

The CO frowned. "A coup, for all intensive purposes, but this one looks much larger than Samaru. This island was a French island, Libertile means Liberty Island in French, and as such they've kept it that way. You may have noticed that many people still speak this 'native' language and so it isn't hard to believe that in their minds the control of the French government would be a good alternative to what they have now. This country is plagued by disease during the winter months and bouts of famine in summer. It's hell for them and not the way many of their surrounding islands live. They feel betrayed by their government, other governments, especially ours. We are their closest Western country but our government does not feel their problems are worth the time and effort of military intervention. This may be because they feel no threat to the Australian people from the island, or simply because too few Australians recognize it's even there and as such they cannot justify sending help."

"Money again." The X said dejectedly. She looked up quickly. "Half of Australia couldn't locate Afghanistan or the Persian Gulf on a map." She pointed out.

The CO nodded. "Yes, but America is there so we follow. They speak, we follow. And while we waste tax dollars on unnecessary wars, the people of Libertile suffer."

The room was silent for a moment as they took in the CO's words. While three of them were senior members, none had dared before to mutter aloud such thoughts. It was frowned upon as un-ADF and unpatriotic. And yet it had lingered in their minds for a while. The Armidale Class Patrol Boats didn't have to question their reasoning for existing, they protected Australia's coastline from all things bad, dealing with things that the Australian public neither needed nor wanted to know about, but they still had frigates. They still had gun ships. They still had whole fleets, squadrons and battalions sent off to fight bloody wars against unknown enemy. They still fought wars offshore that defied human belief with their bloodiness and growing number of casualties. And while everyone knew of Iraq and the wars in the Middle East, few could truly comprehend what went on there. Amongst them, Defence Force personnel.

"You shouldn't speak like that sir." Swain finally spoke up, but while his voice was soft he was smiling.

The CO seized his chance. "How did you know about the crossbows?"

Swain gave a shrug. "I read a lot sir." He gave a sly smile and went back to dressing Spider's wound.

The Seaman finally spoke. "Sir, we're going back to get her?" He asked, his voice shaking a little as he spoke of Bomber. The duo had been through so much together, like he and Kate, that he understood the reliance. It was like you couldn't breath if you knew they were in trouble. As if to prove this, Spider spoke slowly and breathlessly like a man with a collapsed lung.

The CO nodded. "Of course Spider. Of course we're going back for her."


	4. Chapter 3: In All Due Respect, Sir

**Disclaimer; **All views expressed here are not those of the sight on which it is published. All characters belong to Hal and Di McElroy et al.

**Warning; **Violence, graphic images. This chapter, like many from now on, is rated M.

Chapter Three;  
In All Due Respect, Sir

"Of course not." Marshall's voice cut across the radio, filling the bridge and causing the X to look up from her seat in the Captain's chair. Ever the gentleman, the CO had forced her to take it when she'd become determined not to leave the bridge. While Spider's injury was skin deep and would only require a good gauze covering, bandage and pain killer, the X's injury appeared to be ongoing. It was a common injury, a twisted ankle, but a debilitating one nonetheless. She was rotating it slowly, an exercise Swain had suggested, as Marshall continued. "Of course you aren't going back for her."

"Sir, we…" The CO started, but Marshall cut him off.

"I've allowed a lot from you in my time Mike, but don't ask this of me. Something goes wrong out there and we're both strung up by our ankles."

The CO frowned. "She's an in…" Again he lost out.

"Flynn, I'm serious. A patrol boat in the middle of an international disaster? No one will blame you for blundering into this Mike, but if you stick around you're as good as finished. We're talking military enquiry. You, me and your team will be out of here faster than you can say 'good intentions'."

But Mike was getting angry. He knew Marshall, knew he wasn't a stickler for rules like he probably should be, and couldn't understand why Marshall had picked now to be difficult. He looked up at his crew; the 5 others on the bridge were looking to him for leadership. He wasn't going to let them down. Rules be damned, the Hammersley was at war now and in warzones rules meant nothing. "In all due respect sir, no. We're going back for our chef." He threw the phone back at RO who caught it in shock and hung up on the Commander. The phone didn't move and the CO knew that Marshall knew better than to try and call back. Once the CO had something in his mind, he didn't let it go.

"What now sir?" The X asked, looking up at him and her words brimming with silent admiration.

"Dress for shore search." He looked up at the figure of Buffer who was standing by the engine controls with Charge, watching everything. "We need to find Bomber and get out of here before the cavalry arrive, because the minute they do everything will get a whole lot worse."

* * *

The beach was quiet, much like it had been earlier that day when they'd lost Bomber, and Buffer frowned. Behind him the remaining men of the boarding party looked around them. They had a lot of things to look for, things they needed like a checklist to finding Bomber, and the first started with the boxes. They were where they'd left them; alas empty of the crossbows, but Buffer ordered Pierce and Dutchy to carry them to the RHIB anyway. Once they were aboard Rhino darted off back to the Hammersley. His orders were to bring them back and then stay off the coastline until Buffer radioed back. Meanwhile they were to sneak into the jungle as quietly as they could manage to search for something, anything, which could provide them with clues that would lead them to their lost crewmember.

"Caesar, Archie. You go left. Swain, Pierce. Right. Dutchy, you're with me. Radio if you find anything. Meet back here in 40 minutes if nothing goes wrong." Buffer ordered, pointing people in their directions. Swain nodded, leading the wiry brunette Pierce off into the bushes on their right. The same direction the ambush had come from earlier. Caesar, a heavy-set man who did actually look a bit like his namesake Julius Caesar, led the dark-skinned Archie to the left. Buffer just stood and watched them go. Dutchy, meanwhile, had already started into the scrub ahead of them. A good-spirited young man, Ryan 'Dutchy' Van Gould-Cooper had come from a wealthy family, but he didn't show it. Buffer liked working with the junior sailor because he trusted him. He was Buffer's second favourite behind Spider, but with that impetuous Seaman still on the Hammersley, Buffer strode after Dutchy into the scrub.

20 minutes into their search they came across a small hut in the distance. Despite being surrounded by trees on their side, they could see that the house opened up to what looked to be a makeshift street. Clearly they had stumbled across a village. There were no clear maps outlining the area as no one had bothered to intrinsicly map the island. Because of that the crew of the Hammersley had no idea of what lay before them inland, and even some of the coastline lay unchartered. The CO had commented when they'd first realised they were heading for Libertile that navigating was 'going to be a step back in time to the good old 19th century'. It had been in jest, but he'd been right.

"Crew? Sit-Rep. We've come across a village. About 19 minutes due west of our starting location." Buffer radioed. He waited a minute, looking at Dutchy, but nothing. All he could hear was white noise. The radio crackled as if someone had picked up their radio, but they heard nothing. Buffer looked at Dutchy. He shrugged. Casting their eyes around them for any sign of life, they continued towards the village. All was quiet as Buffer crept out into the main street with Dutchy but he could see the faces in the windows. He lowered his gun slowly and called out to them.

"We're Australian Navy. We aren't here to hurt you, we're just looking for someone. A Navy woman. She was with a group of islander men, who were carrying crossbows." The faces shrank back as he mentioned the men.

"You think they speak English?" Dutchy asked, the Able Seaman casting his eyes around him warily.

"They certainly understood when I mentioned the men. I think they're af…" He stopped as a bush rustled to his left and he lifted his gun again, but Pierce and Swain just stepped out into the main road. He lowered his gun and gave them a wave. They came over.

"Find anything?" He asked them.

They shook their heads. Swain lifted up something, an arrow, and showed Buffer. "We found this on a hut further down the hill." He motioned back to the way they'd come. "Stuck to the door like a warning or something."

Buffer took it from Swain. "Why would you say warning?"

Swain's voice was silent but emotionless. "Because the bodies of the occupants lay inside. They'd been attacked, their throats cut, stabbed in the eyes."

Buffer looked around him. "This is why no one will talk."

"Would you?" Pierce piped up, the 23-year-old giving Buffer a crooked smile. Buffer agreed. He certainly wouldn't. He shoved it in his breast pocket then looked back at Swain. "Have you heard from Caesar and Archie?"

Swain shook his head. "Nothing. They shouldn't be far away though. Pierce thought he saw them when we were at the house."

Buffer looked to Pierce who nodded. "Yeah, at least I think it was them. There was someone moving out there."

But Buffer was suddenly worried. He had a strange feeling in the pit of his stomach that it wasn't Caesar and Archie. Pierce was already pointing out to Dutchy a point three metres away where they'd 'seen' the Seaman and Leading Seaman. The bushes were silent. There was no one there. Buffer, lifting his gun, strode towards it slowly. As he did a door to his right opened and a man of about 50 came running out waving his arms and yelling at Buffer in some islander dialect that Buffer couldn't understand. Then, as the man reached him, things began to slow down. The bushes behind him, where Swain and Pierce had stepped out, rustled and out burst four men. One, they were pleased to see, was Archie. But, his gun up and firing blindly back at the men behind him, he was being chased by three men with crossbows. They fired, missing the quick-moving Seaman, as Swain and the others brought up their guns to fire. They managed to cut down one insurgent, but the others kept coming. Noticing the old man beside him had frozen, Buffer turned his attention on the villager, but it was too late. An arrow, clearly intended for Buffer, caught the man in the chest. His eyes bulged as the arrow snaked it's way into the man, the force of the shot pushing his body back at an odd angle. Then, like with most blows, his body convulsed and the angle of his back went even further. With a sickening crack his spine broke and the man collapsed. The arrow, meanwhile, had continued through and imbedded in the door behind him. Buffer's eyes darted between it and the insurgents then one words came to mind. _Retreat_.

"Men, fall back to the beach." Buffer screamed, not bothering to use the radio. Then, gun held high, Buffer ran with the others.


	5. Chapter 4: It's All Quiet

**Disclaimer; **I don't own any characters in this piece. All views expressed here are not echoed by the sites on which they are published.

Chapter Four;  
It's All Quiet

In comparison to the wild fire Buffer and his crew were facing, at 4pm that afternoon the base at Cairns was surprisingly quiet. There was no speaking, no wild rumours or anecdotes that usually shot across the room from the gossipy young sailors, as everyone realised the severity of what was happening in Libertile. Amongst them, one of the more senior members of the base crew, Josh 'ET' Holliday was silently terrified. He'd almost expected to hear Mike Flynn's voice on the phone when the report of trouble had come into base, but then his old CO had done something no one had been expecting, he told Marshall to go and get stuffed. This had left ET both pleased and sweating. Evidently Mike had had enough of Marshall's new attitude of denying Mike everything he wanted to, but at the same time he knew Mike wouldn't defy the rules unless something was very wrong. He hadn't heard the start of the conversation, but had heard Marshall refer to a female member of the crew. That left two options; the X and Bomber. Unless something had gone very wrong and Nikki was in trouble. And that was why, in the hours since Mike's call, ET had been silently sweating as he worked. Anyone on the Hammersley being in trouble was scary enough, but if he lost Nikki…

"ET." A voice said and he looked up into the face of a seaman by the name of Hart. A tall, thin blonde girl, Jenny Hart was one of the more popular girls in the establishment. But she spurned the men's advances as she was all work. And now she was holding out a sheet of paper to him. She frowned at him too. "Are you alright ET?"

ET sighed then gathered himself. "Uh, yeah, I'll be fine." He gave her a smile. She narrowed her eyes at him but then left. He glanced down at the piece of paper before him and realised it was a set of co-ordinates he was meant to send to HMAS Waterhen, the Sydney base for the active ships of the Sydney-based fleet. Amongst this fleet, the warships of the ANZAC class and the HMAS Kanimbla, the Australian Navy's aircraft carrier. All of them were built not for defence but attack.

_154'7__ ºE, 14'9 ºS_

And the co-ordinates he was sending were for Libertile.

ET swallowed hard with realisation. His task was to send people, people who wouldn't allow the Hammersley there, to war. And then he knew he had to contact the Hammersley as soon as possible.

* * *

An arrow thudded into the tree by Buffer's ear as he and the others fled back to the beach. Despite being up on numbers, the Navy men knew they had to leave the village far behind them before they could even consider turning on their men. In that village too many men were at risk. They didn't need another civilian, like that old man, to go down. Now, almost 2 kilometres out of the village, Buffer pressed his finger to his radio.

"Safe distance. Men, engage." Around him the others turned quickly, almost like a pirouette, and stared face on to the men. The islanders never saw it coming. In a barrage of gunfire they fell, only able to get off one arrow. It fell, harmlessly, at Dutchy's feet. He glanced down at it slowly. Then, their guns still held high in case any more men emerged, they strode towards the bodies. Kicking the crossbow away from the bullet-riddled body of the first man, Buffer stared down at him. Despite the 10+ bullets in him, the man was alive. Holding his gun over the man's face, Buffer spoke slowly. "Why are you here?"

The man struggled in French, his words escaping him in gasps. But Buffer knew he didn't understand, and Buffer didn't understand him. It was useless. He frowned at the dying man. "You're under arrest." He said. But it was a waste of time. A few seconds later his eyes closed and his body slumped. He was dead. Nearby the other insurgent was being looked over by Swain. He was in a better condition than the first guy, but not much. Having collected a bullet in the lung area, the man was gasping for breath and coughing up blood at the same time. He didn't look like he had long and Swain shook his head slowly. They wouldn't, and couldn't, get anything out of this man. Buffer, taking Archie aside, spoke to the still shaken young man.

"Caesar?" He asked.

Archie shook his head. "They came out of nowhere. We tried to radio you but nothing, the radios were down in there." Buffer had noticed that too. The minute they'd got out of the thick scrub the radios were fine, but deep in there, near the village and farms, they just emitted white noise when you attempted to use them. Something deep inside this place was interfering with their closed circuit radio systems. Archie continued. "They just grabbed him, shot him in the knee then carried him off. I couldn't do anything. There were about 8 of them. I just ran." He looked down, ashamed.

Buffer smacked him on the shoulder. "You did alright Archie, we didn't need to lose you too." He turned away from the seaman and looked back at Swain. With one last check of the islander's pulse, he confirmed the man dead. Standing up and passing Dutchy, who was watching the bodies with distaste on his face, he joined Buffer.

"Caesar was carried off by their lot." Buffer explained, motioning to the dead insurgents. "But by all accounts he's still alive." Swain nodded. "You know about these guys, what will they do with him?"

Swain shrugged. "They've already proven they know the value of hostages, but then they have Bomber so they might not need Caesar. Unless Bomber's escaped and they have orders to get another hostage."

"Or Bomber's dead." Buffer added sullenly. Swain looked at the ground. Clearly he didn't need to think about that. Buffer looked up and motioned to the others. "Come on, back to the beach. Take the crossbows Dutchy." Buffer called out to them. He lifted his radio. "Papa 82, this is Bravo 82. We're coming back. We have a lot to tell you."

* * *

On the bridge of the Hammersley the CO had his radio to his lips, chatting back to Buffer. From the bridge he could see his men emerge from the bushes and down onto the beach where Rhino and the RHIB sat waiting for them. This time he knew who had gone. Leading Seaman Julian 'Caesar' Royal. The man had only joined the Hammersley five months previous. Now he'd been captured, maybe killed. The CO frowned and blamed himself. That was one of the reasons his men liked him so much. He worried about their safety. And right now he was nervously scanning the bush behind his men for any sign of movement. But there were none. He breathed a sigh of relief as they got back into the RHIB and started back to the boat. Once they were far enough away the CO put down the binoculars and looked back at the X who was still sitting in the Captain's chair. He was about to speak when suddenly the phone went off and RO picked it up quickly. The CO watched his face as he answered, the usually emotionless radio operator's face contorting to confusion as he spoke. He then held the phone towards the CO.

"Sir, it's ET." The CO frowned and Nav's head snapped up at the name. RO continued. "He says he needs to talk to you, urgently."

The CO took the phone. "ET?" He said, surprised to hear his old clearance diver's voice.

ET was quickly to the point. "Sir, you need to get the hell out of there quickly. The warships are coming and when they get there, well, it isn't going to be pretty."


	6. Chapter 5: Know Your Enemy

**Disclaimer; **None of these characters belong to me. Neither do the views they and I represent in this piece reflect the views of the character's owners or the sites on which this story is published.

Chapter Five;  
Know Your Enemy

Bomber awoke in darkness, her head spinning from the attack she'd received earlier that day. Trying to see her watch in the darkness, but struggling through pulsing and watery eyes, she saw it was a little after 9pm. She'd been out for about eleven hours. Frowning to herself at the memory of what had happened she recalled just barely the small village they had passed through after she'd been split up from her crew. The faces of the villagers peering out of their doorways. The sadness on their faces. But also the relief. While the insurgents had Bomber they could find no reason to take one of them. She recalled also the method they had used of knocking her out. Basic but effective, they had hit her with the butt of a gun. But Bomber frowned to herself. A knock like that wouldn't knock her out for eleven hours. She then figured she'd probably been drugged in her sleep and instinctively looked at her arm. Indeed across the top of her elbow she could make out a makeshift tourniquet made out of a ripped cloth wound around a stick. It pressed tight on her arm and now she could feel the compressed blood throbbing in her arm. She reached up and ripped it off. Now she was angry. Pushing herself to her feet in the darkened room, she looked around for something to hit someone with. Then she stopped and words flooded her head.

… _remember; while anger makes a good fighter, it can also make an unstable entity. Unstable people make decisions that likely will not benefit either them or their team…_

And, slumping back against the wall, Bomber knew what that meant. An angry soldier makes dumb decisions. She swore softly to herself. If anyone should know this it should be her. Her and Spider; the victim of her last anger attack. Despite the circumstances she smiled to herself. She should've known this straight out. That line was from the manual, and she read the manual!

Gathering her thoughts for a minute she stood again and looked around her. The darkened room yielded nothing, as had been the intention of the men when they'd shut her in here, but Bomber had already gathered from feeling alone that she was in some kind of hut. The walls were hard, likely clay, and the floors were wooden. She could hear every one of her footsteps as she trailed her hand along the walls, mentally mapping her surroundings. She cursed the darkness as her forefinger hit a snag as she felt blood. Darkness had long been the friend of numerically under strength or militarily inferior forces. And while these men had both numbers, weapons and training on Bomber, she did not doubt the usefulness of darkness and guessed they hadn't either. Likely something they learnt off the French. Crouching slowly to catch some breath, rub her eyes and suck on her cut finger, Bomber thought about everything she knew about Libertile. And that wasn't much. Discovered in 1894 by a French sailor looking for Papua, René Dufront had named the island after the French term for Liberty Island. But it was no liberty for the French who, although acquiring the little archipelago for the fun of it, soon discovered it was costing them more than they were making from it. The UN came down on them in 1916, the height of the First World War, and ordered they maintain their island. The people were starving, their lands being used for paper and farming sources (the ground unnaturally prosperous) without any profit to the people, and the French realised they couldn't keep it. They had pulled out of Libertile in 1923. The people had been left to their own devices. For the last 85 years at least. So why were the French suddenly making a show again now? Bomber scratched her head. None of it made sense. Unless they'd finally discovered something here that was worth the effort getting. Which meant one of two things; oil or uranium. They were possibly the only two things in the world that were worth killing for. Worth defying everyone for. Someone here had struck oil or uranium. And the French had heard about it. Now they wanted their island back.

* * *

He didn't know it, but at the same time that Bomber was trying hard to remember everything she knew about Libertile, Spider had the book she'd learnt it from laying on his lap in the mess. It was an A3 sized pictorial atlas filled with a short summary of each country in the 6 different regions of the world. The book had been found by Nav in the room she shared with the ship's chef earlier that day and she'd given it to Spider as an attempt to cheer up the downtrodden young seaman. Now, after having stared at it without opening it for 20 minutes, he'd finally flipped it open. Inside the front cover was a message to the book's owner.

_Bec,_

_Remember us when you're travelling the world and seeing all these places for yourself._

_Love_

_Jessie and Tom_

_P.S Just so you don't forget where you came from, I've circled Mount Isa. Lol._

Spider flipped to the map of Australia near the back and noticed that Bomber's younger sister had, indeed, circled the Queensland country town. He gave a small smile and flipped back to the index. There, halfway down the page, he saw the area they called 'Australasia'. Page 45. He found Libertile quickly and started to read.

_**Libertile**_

_**Population: **__7,800 (unconfirmed)__**  
Area: **__19.6 square kilometres__**  
Capital: **__Tripolni__**  
Language: **__French, English and various tribal languages__**  
Currency: **__Libertile Franc_

_Discovered in 1894 by French explorer René Dufront, who according to rumours had been looking to land in Papua, the small archipelago was given the name of the French term for Liberty Island. While a French acquisition, the war torn European nation soon realised it couldn't maintain the upkeep of the island country. The UN ordered the French, in 1916, the height of the First World War, to help the Libertilese people. The people were starving and the country was falling into a state of decay seen only in African nations. In 1923 the French ordered an election and the island became independant. To this day, however, it is still seen as a French country. The lands are prosperous and amazingly fertile, exporting large numbers of coconuts and wheat. They're also famous for their livestock, coffee and paper trees. Tourism is unfortunately much lower than other countries, and the country does not have a working airstrip. Nonetheless Libertile's place in the Pacific Islands area is growing. It's flag, four red stars on a French flag background, represents the four mythical gods that protect the islands and the French-controlled history._

Spider gaped at the history then shut Bomber's book slowly. He'd never been much of a student at school, and certainly not a Geography student, but until now he'd never even heard of Libertile let alone understood it's torrid history. To think that this country, inside Australian waters, was allowed to suffer at the hands of their European masters, enraged him. And now they seemed to have forgotten this and were pledging their allegiance again to the French. So much so that they'd kidnapped Bomber. He sighed and ran his hands over the thick binding on the side of the book. Know your enemy. He hoped Bomber did.

* * *

Bomber did.

She also knew how best to use it to her advantage. Know your enemy. It was basically rule number one in the manual. Knowledge of one's enemy helped you figure out exactly what they would do next. Thanking her sister's cocky sense of humour and what had intended to be a joke present, Bomber sat in darkness trying to remember what else the atlas said about Libertile. There wasn't much. Low tourism, no airstrip. No wonder, with natives like these who would want to come? She chuckled to herself in the darkness then slid back against the wall, overcome again by a bout of weakness. She guessed it was down to the drugs in her system and started to wonder what they'd put in her. But then, just as she was mentally running a list over in her head, a door to her left burst open and light flooded the room. She had a second to push herself to her feet before the scramble of boots on boot and the sound of yells of 'get him in here' and 'watch the girl' in French washed over her. Then, with a loud protest in English, a familiar figure was unceremoniously thrown into the room. Even in the partial light Bomber recognised him straightaway.

"Caesar?" She gasped.

The door slammed. The room fell dark again. And from the ground nearby Caesar's deep voice sounded, his voice traced with pain but still humour. "Hey Bomb, how's it hanging?"


	7. Chapter 6: A Help or a Hindrance

**Disclaimer; **No views expressed here are echoed by the sites they are on. All characters belong to Di and Hal McElroy.

Chapter Six;  
A Help or A Hindrance

_Time since Bomber's kidnapping: 13 hours_.

The CO and the X sat on the bridge staring out at Libertile. A little off the coast, they were clearly within sight of the hostiles and they knew this, but there was little they could do. With few resources and their small team of men falling quickly, things were going from bad to worse for the Hammersley. And now they faced the threat of a very cold and unforgiving Marshall. The Commander was clear in his feelings about the Hammersley being there; he wanted none of it. And he seemed determined to make their life a misery. Already he had warned the CO that he'd been in contact with his Sydney counterpart, encouraging the men of the Waterhen's ships that the Hammersley was to be sent home to base as soon as found, and now he seemed to be blocking everything that the CO asked of him. Flynn and his team were quickly becoming infuriated with the boss and they'd become used to ignoring his calls. It barely raised a sweat now. They'd face the tribunal when they got home.

Naturally the CO had offered his men the option to jump ship, take no part in what was to come. Be left out of what was to come. None had taken that offer. And since that time they'd all been given a chance to sit up on the bridge during one of ET's many calls and find out exactly what was going on. No more secrecy, no more ranks. They were equals here. The last call had involved ET informing the Hammersley captain of what ships were being sent up to see them. Among them the Kanimbla, Parramatta and Stuart. A Landing Platform Amphibious and two Frigates. This was serious stuff. But ET had nowhere near the authority to explain exactly why they were all heading up. The CO had expected maybe one frigate but likely just another patrol boat. Now he had half of the warships of the Waterhen bearing down on them. It was overwhelming, but the CO knew better than to let it get to him. He'd simply instructed ET to do whatever it took to get some knowledge on why they were coming and what they intended to do to them and Libertile when they got here.

"Do you think he'll manage it?" The X asked as they sat there, lost in their own thoughts.

The CO shrugged. "If anyone can do it, it's ET."

The X nodded, aware that they were very lucky to have one of their most loyal men on the inside. "What about Marshall? Will he be a problem?"

The CO shrugged. "He seems determined to be a problem for some reason." He looked at the X. "He'll know about the five calls ET has made to us so far. I don't think we can count on ET after Friday. He checks the unauthorized calls log on Fridays."

The X frowned. "And what happens after that."

The CO smiled sadly. "Hopefully we won't be here after Friday." He shoved his hands in his pockets. "And if we are, well, we think about that problem when it comes."

* * *

ET was in a situation. He wanted nothing more than to help the CO and the Hammersley, but he didn't have the authorization. Still only a Non-Commissioned Junior Officer, he was just too low on the ladder to get the information he needed. And right now, with the warships of Sydney heading up to Libertile, there was no time for speculation. He needed help and he needed it now.

There was one problem. He'd only been at base for a month and didn't know the right people to ask for help. He'd transferred to base only 4 months earlier after deciding he had to leave the Hammersley to pursue a real relationship with Nikki Caetano. But now he was stuck with no one to help him help her. No one except…

A smile spread across ET's face. There was someone.

* * *

ET leant over the table in front of the blonde girl. She glanced up at him slowly then, seeing the steely resolve in his eyes, looked down again. "What do you want ET?" She sighed, putting down her sandwich.

ET took a seat. "Jenny, I need your help."

Jenny Hart bit her lip. "I know what you're doing with the Hammersley Josh and I'm not being dragged down with you."

ET sighed. "Jen, please. I wouldn't ask if I didn't really need your help."

Jenny looked like she'd given in but then she posed a challenge. "In 100 words or less, tell me why I should throw my career away to help you."

ET gave a small smile and knew exactly what to tell her. The truth. "Because there's someone on the Hammersley that means the world to me, and if anything goes wrong and I lose her, I will be finished."

Jenny looked at the table, glanced back at him, and then returned to the table. After a minute where ET didn't dare move in case she gave up on him, she finally looked at him with a sigh. "But what can I do to help?"

ET grinned. "Well, I figured you know more people around here. People who might be able to help me. A Petty Officer or someone like that. Someone further up the chain than me."

Jenny nodded. "I think I know just the person."

* * *

"Sir, ET." RO called out and the CO picked up the phone quickly, turning it on to loudspeaker so the others on the bridge could hear and reply.

"Did you get what I wanted?" The CO asked.

ET's smile was evident in his tone. "Not yet sir." The CO's smile faltered. ET continued. "But I did even better than that. I found someone to help you. If the X is there she might recognise the name. Lieutenant Brian 'Rembrandt' Murphy."

The X's head did snap up at the name and she smiled. She'd worked alongside Rembrandt on her last posting. He was a reliable man who, like Mike, believed in the truth over the rules any day. "Tell him I do ET. And say hi for me." She called to the loud speaker.

ET chuckled. "I can do better than that ma'am. I can put him on for you." The sound of a phone rustled in hands came across the loudspeaker and the voice of a man, clearly older than ET and more battle weary, was heard on the Hammersley's bridge.

"Katie, was that your lovely voice I heard my girl?" He said loudly. The X remembered the man had two volumes; loud and louder. This was basically whispering to him.

"Yes Brian. ET tells us you're happy to help."

Rembrandt laughed. "More than happy luv. I want to help. Anything for my favourite girl." The X smiled. "My youngest Emma is on the Kanimbla. I've been in contact. They're about 40 nautical miles from your current location. You haven't got long my girl."

Nav glanced back at them. "At that distance we have about 2 hours."

The X frowned. "Does she know what the purpose of the Kanimbla is?"

"Sorry luv, my little girl is only a Seaman. But she's on the deck. They've come fully furbished luv. Choppers and everything. They've got army men in there too. And the SAS. This is big. You need to get out of there."

The X sighed. "We can't Rembrandt. We have two men in there now and we aren't leaving them behind."

Rembrandt chuckled. "That's what I wanted to hear luv. Emma and her boyfriend, he's an army officer, are happy to help. So you have a few more sailors and a small troop of army men at your disposal when the Kanimbla gets to you. But that will be nothing to the number of people who'll want you out of there. But your man on the inside here and I have been working on something." Nav smiled slyly at the mention of ET working from the inside like an undercover operative. X glanced away from her and back at the loudspeaker. "What've you come up with Rembrandt? We're happy for any ideas up here."

_Time until the Kanimbla arrives: 2 hours, 4 minutes_


	8. Chapter 7: A Better Place To Be

Chapter Seven;  
A Better Place To Be?

_Time since Bomber's kidnapping: 13 hours, 10 minutes_

Caesar's stomach growled and he chuckled. "Woah, that was a big one." He glanced up in the darkness at the figure of Bomber. "What's cooking chef?"

Bomber didn't move and Caesar sat up quickly. "Bomb?" She shifted a little and Caesar realized something was very wrong with the girl. "Bomb, say something to me girl." He moved closer to her in the darkness. "Rebecca?" He said, worried about the Able Seaman.

"I think I'm cooking." She managed with a chuckle. Caesar lifted a hand to her forehead. Her temperature was high. Too high. Over the last hour Bomber had been getting steadily sicker, getting weaker and weaker. Now her forehead was on fire and Caesar was sure there were other things going on that she hadn't said yet.

"Oh god Bomber, what have they given you?" He checked her pulse. It was fast. Very fast. High temperature, fast pulse, and she was sweating even though the temperature in the room was quite mild. He frowned. She was the medic, not him. Could she help herself?

"I don't know. Sleeping drugs or something. Knocked me out for 11 hours." She rasped out the words. It was clear her throat had gone dry and probably cracked. He could sense that every word hurt. He ran what he knew about certain drugs over in his head, but nothing could have this effect. Nothing Western anyway. They were likely dealing with something neither of them knew.Caesar caught himself before he allowed the panic to reach his voice.

"Try not to go to sleep Bomb. I don't know what might happen if you do." He crossed the arm he'd been holding over her stomach and stood up, walking to the big door he'd been thrown in. Since joining Bomber in there, Caesar had been keeping his eyes on the direction of the door, barely moving. Now, the direction and distance seemingly ingrained in his mind, he found it easily despite the darkness. He raised his fists to the door and hammered. "Open up. Open up now." No one responded. He tried again. "Open up, she's sick."

Bomber's voice came from the ground. "Ouvrez elle, est malade." She said softly.

Caesar rushed over to her, thinking she'd succumb to gibberish. "What is it Bomb?"

"Ouvrez elle, est malade. Open up, she's sick. They're French." She managed.

Caesar nodded and smiled. "You're smarter than me my girl." He hurriedly remembered what she said and went back to the door. "Ouvrez elle, est malade." He repeated, his French horrible. A few minutes later, however, the door opened.

"Qu'est-ce qui ne va pas?" The lead one asked. Caesar guessed what he'd said and motioned to Bomber.

"Malade." He guessed that meant sick. Seemed to as the lead man turned to the others. Caesar heard them mention a doctor. He sighed with relief. "Doctor?" He asked.

They nodded. He smiled. "Thank you. Merci." That was the extent of his French. Soon two men burst through the door, one dressed in a weird tribal outfit and covered in war paint. Caesar frowned. "Doctor?"

The lead man who had stayed with him nodded. "Il est le meilleur docteur d'esprit dans Libertile."

Bomber spoke again. "It's a native witch doctor Caesar." She managed.

Caesar shook his head. "No, no. You have the French behind you. Where are their doctors? Real doctors? Western doctors." The islander didn't understand and just pointed at the witch doctor every time Caesar mentioned a doctor. "What did you give her?" He mimed a needle in an arm. Tying a tourniquet. Eventually they got it and smiled.

"Potion de sommeil locale." He smiled, looking rather proud of himself. He motioned to Bomber. "Elle dort bien?"

Caesar gaped. A witch doctor and… Bomber spoke again. "Local sleep potion. An island drug. Caesar, it could have anything in it." He sensed her move. "Antidote?" She asked, Caesar guessing the word was the same in French and English.

The doctor smiled. "Aucun antidote, juste long sommeil." No antidote, just long sleep.

Caesar frowned, his eyes darting between the islander men and Bomber. "Let us out of here. She needs a doctor or she's going to die." Still confused. He slid his finger across his throat then pointed to Bomber. "Die."

The islanders frowned. "Non, elle juste assoiffé. Eau d'effort." One of the three ran off and came back quickly with a bottle of something Caesar guessed to be water. "Boisson." He said with a smile. They left.

Caesar looked back at Bomber. "Bomb?"

"Just give me the water Caesar. I'm dying of thirst over here."

* * *

Eventually she gave up and fell asleep. Caesar had warned her not to, but Bomber knew that if she didn't sleep soon she'd feel worse. Of course there was the risk she wouldn't wake up, but she took it. She hurt so much. Every bone in her body ached and she silently cursed the island men for their potion. Clearly they hadn't predicted she may react badly to it. Now it was just her, dying slowly, and an injured Caesar. Escape didn't seem likely.

Something swam in front of her eyes, diverting her attention from her thoughts. It was a face. A familiar face. "Jessie?" She said aloud, her voice raspy. Her sister crouched down in front of her and Bomber smiled. "What are you doing here Jessie?" She panicked. "Please don't tell me you were caught too."

Jessie didn't speak, just stood up and pointed back to a spot behind her. There stood RO and Spider. She frowned as RO gave her a smile and walked over, pushing her hair off her forehead. "Are you alright Bomb? I think you had a bad dream." His voice was so soft, so comforting.

Bomber smiled. "Yeah, must have. Where am i?"

Spider chuckled. "Idiot, you're at home." Jessie reappeared holding baby Alex. "Must've been an interesting dream."

Bomber frowned. "We were on Libertile. There were insurgents."

Spider laughed. "I don't think we're in Kansas anymore Toto." He mocked.

RO turned and glared at him. "Ignore him, he was worried sick. You were yelling in French. It was scary."

"Worried sick eh?" Bomber said with a smiling, looking past RO to Spider. The man just shrugged. Bomber laughed softly then held her hands out to take baby Alex. "How's my favourite little bloke been?" She asked him.

Though his mouth didn't move she heard a voice familiar but not one belonging to the people near her. "Bomber, Bomber are you alright?"

Her eyes snapped open. It was still dark. "What? What happened? What time is it? Where is everyone?"

Caesar's hand touched hers. "Bomb, you were talking your sleep. Are you alright?"

Bomber breathed deeply. "I don't… I… it seemed so real. My sister was there, her baby boy, RO and Spider. I was at home, this was all a dream." She realized what she was saying and stopped, shuffling uncomfortably. "What time is it?"

"I'd say about midnight. Are you okay? Do you need another drink?" She felt him push the waterbottle into her hand.

Bomber sighed, taking a quick mouthful of water. She wiped her mouth with the back of her shaking hand. "I don't know I just…" She felt tears start to well in her eyes. "What if we don't get out of here? What if we get back and people have been killed trying to find us? I don't…"

Caesar shushed her. "You're tired and sick. It's understandable you'd be emotional." He placed his cold hand on hers. It felt comforting. "C'mon, you get some more sleep. It'll be morning before you know it." With that in mind Bomber lay her head back and fell asleep, the images from before playing over in her mind. She missed everyone in that dream terribly.


	9. Chapter 8: Woman On The Inside

Chapter Eight;  
(Wo)Man On The Inside

_Estimated time of arrival at 157'4 ºE, 14'9 ºS: 23 minutes_

The Kanimbla was a magnificent sight, one that people should get a chance to see at least once in their lives, especially as she cut through the waters of the Coral Sea. A Landing Platform Amphibious, or what they just called a Kanimbla class, she was built for the exact purpose she was about to serve. Getting troops from the water to the land and back again. In and out as quickly as possible. For that reason many of the crew had nicknamed her the 'Player'. But she never played games and to serve anywhere near the Kanimbla was a real tribute. She was a fighter and had fought more battles than her tough outer skin showed. From the distance she was a marvel. Close up she caught your breath and stole it from your lungs. Travelling at 22 knots/h at full speed, her 51 bright and shining on her sides, she was 8534 tons of pure power. 159.2 metres long, carrying 3 Sea Kings and 4 Blackhawks, and armed to the teeth with one 20mm Phalanx MK 15 and six 12.7mm Machine guns. But below the surface was where she struck the blow. Propelled by 2 ALCO V16 diesel engines working at 2750 horsepower, she usually carried a small army of 23 naval officers and 2 army officers as well as 197 sailors and 18 soldiers but now she carried a lot more. Capable of carrying another 400 personnel, she was just under half full. 130 soldiers and two SAS groups comprising of 10 men each. She powered forward to her destination with her motto on her lungs. In short it was 'Cry Havoc'. In full it was William Shakespeare's best…

_"And Caesar's spirit ranging for revenge, with 'ate by his side come hot from hell, shall in these confines with a monarch's voice, cry "Havoc!" and let slip the Dogs of War."_

Below the surface a pretty brunette Seaman by the name of Emma was on the phone to her father. Behind her, watching her every move, was the ship's radio operator, Herbie. It was standard on a naval ship to have all calls monitored so as to quash any attempts at an internal coup. Of course, if the radio operator was in on it, then there was a problem. But Emma wasn't attempting a coup. She was just helping her father.

"More than I could've imagined daddy." She shot Herbie a smile and he returned it quickly. At 22 Emma should've been well past calling her father 'daddy' but she'd been doing it for so long it had seemed unnatural to ever stop. Now people were used to it. Everyone knew Emma's father anyway, many having already accused Emma of only making it on the Kanimbla because of her father, but they knew better than to question the old Lieutenant himself. In fact Emma was a smart girl, a communication systems sailor for the Kanimbla, but a bit of a wild child when she wanted to be. For this reason she'd long ago inherited the name Scruffy. But she had a good heart and made friends easily. Probably one of the reasons so many had put up their hands to help her and her father. "Even the Colonel. Says he'll give anything to help you."

"I'm proud of you sweetheart. Your brothers send their love and the best of luck. They hope they can join you soon enough but I'm not sure that will happen." The old man relayed in the information and support Emma had recieved from her brothers Troy and Dylan. 26 and 28 respectively, they were both Leading Seamen serving on patrol boats. The chance they'd get caught up in Libertile was low, but then with patrol boats you could never be sure. As was why Emma was here in the first place. "I've given the Hammersley's RO the information they need to scramble the information. By the time the Hammersley gets on the Kanimbla's radar it will be too late for them to do anything." Emma grinned. One thing she had mastered, outside the Navy of course, was the bouncing of radio and radar signals. She knew exactly what to do, what to mask, to make a ship virtually untouchable, even by ships of it's own fleet. Naturally a ship the size of a patrol boat would always be visible by the human eye, but there were things one could do to make the ship electronically invisible. In all senses it was as if the Hammersley were never there. It helped that Emma had instructed they tell their Commander that they were leaving, bound for another disturbance on an island 90 kilometres south. Whether Marshall had believed them or not remained to be seen.

"We'll be there in about 25 minutes but being that it's about 1am I don't think we'll be out for a while." She gave a tinkering laugh that bounced off every wall in the room. It was the kind of laugh that made people look up with a smile and say 'there's Emma'. "But Herbie's giving me the evil eye so I better run. I'll be in contact, or someone else will okay daddy."

Rembrandt Murphy smiled. "Of course sweetheart. Have a good night." Emma hung up and turned to Herbie with a grin.

"And now, I'm going to bed!" She grinned and almost skipped from the room. Herbie just shook his head and went back to his paperwork.

* * *

Emma awoke at her assigned time of 4:50 am for her routine inspection of the helicopters with the other communications crewmembers. Since 2005 it had become practically a rule for the communications and flight deck members of the Kanimbla to check the helicopters before daybreak, before operations and after they returned. To prevent tampering, unexpected faults and anything else they couldn't take into account until everything went wrong. They were split into two groups, those who checked the Sea Kings and those who checked the Blackhawks. Emma was part of the Sea King group who had been nicknamed 'Sharkers' after the Shark 2 that had crashed in Nias in July 2005 taking with it 9 dedicated and brave ADF personnel. The group who checked the Blackhawks were affectionately known as 'Porters' after Joshua Porter, the Corporal who'd lost his life on the Fiji mission alongside Captain Bingley. To this day the safety of the Blackhawks were in question, but maybe in tribute or desire to never have it repeated, the 'Porters' took their jobs very seriously. It was their little bit of a tribute to the 11 brave men and women who had died in the Kanimbla's choppers.

As Emma walked towards the first Sea King with two of her fellow communications crewmembers she gave a big yawn. The 4 hours of sleep was getting to her and she quickly regretted staying up so late to talk to her father. As she rubbed her eyes they finally fell on the island before her. Libertile, from the massive ship, was little more than an oversized clump of trees. But Emma knew there was more to it than that. Somewhere beneath the surface was a force to be reckoned with. And evidently the Australian government knew that to send the Kanimbla. But what that was Emma didn't know and neither did her father. There was something else going on here that no one seemed to be happy to share. Emma gave a small smile. It was big. Really big.

"Murphy, back to work." A voice called from behind her. She didn't know who it was but quickly went back to it. Her father had already warned her not to draw attention to herself that day. No one needed to suspect she'd planned something. It was just a normal day for the Seaman. For now…

**

* * *

**

**A/N: **Yeah, it's Scruffy with a slight name change. Lol. Guess what, i can put myself in this if i wish and there's nothing you can do about it.  
On another note; all history and facts here about the Kanimbla are true. The deaths of these men are not used lightly and maybe as my tribute to them. Hopefully it will be seen that way anyway.

**Disclaimer: **As before, no characters belong to me. All views expressed here are not echoed by the sites they are published on.


	10. Chapter 9: Encrypted

Chapter Nine;  
Encrypted

_Time since Bomber's kidnapping; 21hrs 4mins_

To the ears of everyone on the bridge, Rembrandt's plan had seemed too simple, something your average Seaman could think up. But as she'd listened, the X had known there was more to it than that. More than just steering the Hammersley around to behind one of the smaller nearby islands and hiding from the approaching Kanimbla. Simply because basic radar would spot them a mile away. In fact, this close, they should've spotted them already. They all waited anxiously now for the sound of the Kanimbla's CO blaring over their radio, ordering them to leave Libertile. Whether they'd agree to do so or not was another matter altogether. But, as the Hammersley hid and dawn broke, there was nothing, just the sound of white noise across their radio. They hadn't attempted to send in another search party that night, not after the disaster of losing Caesar, and had a strange feeling this white noise was coming from the island. But as Nav and the CO sat on the bridge, staring at Libertile and sipping piping hot coffee, something else came across. The sound of voices speaking in French. It was faint at first, barely distinguishable over the sound of the ocean splashing on the rocks nearby, but then it got louder. The CO, nearly choking on his coffee when he heard it, stood up and rushed to the radio as Nav called RO. The radio operator, dressed impeccably considering he wasn't due to rise for another 20 minutes, joined the CO five minutes later as the voices rose to a crescendo. They were talking loudly, likely arguing, and it all came across the radio. There were no interruptions, no white noise, just perfect clear sound. Except they couldn't figure out what they were saying. RO, although not trained in French, did manage to recognise a few words. He wrote them down slowly and handed them to the CO. The CO read them aloud as the X, followed by a slightly shaken Spider (who'd finally been let out of the medical room by Swain in the hope the young man would get some exercise to relax the muscles in his leg), joined them on the bridge.

"Girl, moving, shippings, exports, tomorrow." The CO frowned. "What does it mean?"

The X suggested something. "The girl, Bomber, they want to move her tomorrow with the exports?" It made sense. The CO nodded slowly. "But where did this come from sir?" The X continued, looking confused too.

The CO held up a slip and turned up the radio. The men were still arguing in French. They heard them mention the girl again then another few words that made Spider gasp. They all looked at him. He motioned to the radio. "They said they would 'kill that man'. Do you think they mean Caesar?" He looked at Nav who was frowning at him, shocked he knew any French at all. "Bomber, she swears in French under her breath." He revealed.

The CO brushed aside Spider's last comment. "They must mean Caesar because we have Bomber's radio, she dropped it remember?" The others nodded. "He's left it on obviously. So why didn't we hear it last night?"

Buffer appeared at the foot of the stairs. "I think I have someone who might be able to answer that sir. Rembrandt's on the phone."

RO picked up the phone, which hadn't rung at all, and said hello. Shock spread across his face as Rembrandt's voice flowed out of the earpiece. He handed it to the CO who put it on speaker. "Morning Hammersley." Rembrandt's cheery voice came out. "I believe you had an uneventful evening." He chuckled.

The X, who had designated herself as communicator with Rembrandt, spoke up. "What have you done to our ship Rembrandt?" She said with a smile.

Rembrandt chuckled. "Not me luv. My Emma. The girl knows her way around encryption codes and masking devices. She was doing it last night when the Kanimbla came into your area. Close call too. She couldn't get access to your radar until you were on the Kanimbla's screen. Just got you off the radar in time. As for the radios, I believe she was doing them this morning. She hasn't called me yet so I can't stay on the line for long."

The others gaped at the truckload of information they'd just received. Apparently Emma Murphy had somehow managed to mask their ship on the Kanimbla's radar with a masking device. She's also somehow managed to mask their radios with an encryption device. So, how was Rembrandt able to get through to them? The CO asked him that exact question.

"Encryption code. All masking devices have them. Look, sorry folks but this isn't my area of expertise, ask Emma when she gets to you."

Buffer spoke up. "So why did your call go to my personal phone sir?" He gave the others a nod at the recollection of rolling over to pick up the radio and hear Rembrandt asking to speak to the captain.

Rembrandt chuckled. "Give the girl a break son, she's on a completely different ship." He directed his next sentence to Kate. "Luv, I need you to pick up my girl and her men. I'm not sure when they'll be with you, but expect a call from me soon. Man your Buffer's phone." He teased.

The X smiled. "Thanks Rembrandt. Speak to you soon." She shook her head slowly as RO hung up. The CO ignored her smile of memories and went back to the task at hand.

"So we agreed this transmission…" He turned up the radio again to make a point and the angry French words ran over the bridge again. He turned it down and continued. "… has mentioned killing Caesar and moving Bomber tomorrow, right?" Everyone nodded. "So then we have a few more hours to find them. But where do we start? The shipping ports or what? And what shipping port?" They looked up as Swain joined them. "What are their exports?"

To their surprise a grinning Spider spoke up. "I read this, in the Atlas Nav showed me." He beamed at Nav appreciatively; clearly pleased he was finally helping. "Their main exports are coconuts and wheat."

Swain nodded. "He's right. And we're in luck. On this side of the island, facing away from Australia, we have two wheat shipping ports. The biggest is Arguya, but I can't see them taking Bomber there. It's more likely they'll go to Yurnijak, a now mostly disused shipping port. It's quieter but still has a steady intake of ships there."

The CO nodded. "Good. They'll likely be nearby. Any villages in the surrounding area?" No one moved. No one knew that. The land was unplotted. The CO continued. "No, so we do it the old way. We start at Yurnijak and fan out."

The X spoke up. "Sir, we don't have the man power."

Spider stepped up. "I'm going." He insisted. The CO looked at Swain who nodded that it was fine.

The CO then looked at the X. "We will have enough men, when your Rembrandt comes through."

* * *

They heard back from Rembrandt an hour later with the news that his Emma and a group of people keen to help the Hammersley were heading out on what would soon become a search party gone wrong for the Kanimbla. No one had asked what he'd meant by that, they now knew better than to question to the old Lieutenant, and just listened as he gave them instructions on where to meet the group. As he hung up they realised he hadn't mentioned how many were joining them, but guessed only a handful. It wasn't often people went against their government's instructions, especially if they'd managed to get posted to a ship as hard to get onto as the Kanimbla. So, preparing only one RHIB, they set out to the agreed meeting point. It was on their side of the island, a small beach inlet they called 'Arrivee Etroite', the French words for narrow inlet. It was narrow, only a stretch of beach 60 metres wide, but enough room for them. As they landed they guessed why the Kanimbla dissenters had chosen this spot. It was bound by bush, trees as far as the eye could see. And, as the RHIB stopped, one of the bushes moved. Then, dressed head to toe in khaki, out stepped a soldier. Barely older than 22, the young Corporal looked at them with his gun held high.

"Lieutenant McGregor?" He called.

The X, who had insisted on going to meet them, sat up higher and then gingerly stood. "Yes. You're from the Kanimbla?"

The young man nodded. Then smiled. "Good to see you ma'am. Give us 5 minutes. And please, stay seated, we know of your injury." With that he dashed back into the bushes as Buffer and Swain stepped out of the RHIB onto dry land, holding their own guns out in front of them just in case. They were rightly wary. The docks they'd spoken of earlier, Yurnijak, were only 4 kilometres to their south. Anywhere around here they could find Bomber and Caesar. But they could also find the insurgents.

The X, ignoring the young Corporal's suggestions to stay still, followed the men from the RHIB. She stood, resting most of her weight on her good foot, and looked towards where the soldier had just disappeared. Then out stepped a group of people. About 13 in total.

Emma 'Scruffy' Murphy was a thin, brunette girl, but her nose was the exact mirror of her father's and the X realised who she was straightaway. With her, out of the scrub, came a small group of army men and a few sailors. Emma gave the X a smile and strode towards her. "Ma'am." She said, shaking the X's hand. She motioned to the others. "We're at your disposal, compliments of my father." She looked proud at the mention of her old man, clearly having entered the armed forces to please him. The X instantly warmed to the girl and looked at the others. Two sailors, one who looked much further up the ladder than Seaman Murphy, and 10 army men. The clear leader of the group, a slightly balding 20-something man stepped forward next to Kate. "Warrant Officer Phillip Riley ma'am. Call me Black Box." He gave a smile. X shook his hand too. "My lot hope we can help too." Emma gave him a smile and the X guessed he was the boyfriend Rembrandt had referred to.

Behind her the X felt the other two members of her boarding crew shift and he glanced back at them. The relief at help on their side was across their faces. "Good to have you on board Riley, Murphy." She turned back to the others. "Buffer, call the RHIB, we'll need both." She smiled at Emma. "I didn't expect so many."

* * *

Back on the Hammersley Emma, who insisted they call her Scruffy from now on, radioed her father to tell him they'd made it to the Hammersley. At the same time the sailor the X had noticed earlier, a Leading Seaman named Timothy 'Colonel' Holdsworth, enforced the rest of the plan. Standing on the deck he and the army men fired into the sky as the Colonel screamed into his radio. His men were down, the islanders were everywhere. And then suddenly the radios fell silent. The three sailors and a whole group of army men were suddenly dead. Their radios now redundant, they all pulled them off and put them in a pile. The plan was to dump them on the island next shore search. Then, hungry, the 'dead' men headed inside. On the bridge Scruffy and Black Box were chatting animatedly to the X and CO. On the radio were ET and Rembrandt, listening in and providing some input every so often.

"This is getting messy." ET put in as the sky outside the ship started to darken. There was a storm coming, enveloping the island and costing them their afternoon of searching. It meant there would be no movement until the morning, cutting fine their chance to save their men.

Scruffy nodded though ET couldn't see it. "No offence sir, but you do seem to find yourselves in some bizarre situations." The CO looked up and she smiled. "Your history precedes you sir." The CO nodded silently. That he knew, and that he feared.

Black Box glanced at him seriously. "Sir, we did encounter some islander men on the way to the beach. We thought they might've been the ones you were looking for, but they seemed more scared of us than we did of them. Ran off before we had a chance to communicate."

The CO looked up. "Communicate? One of your men speaks French?"

Black Box nodded. "Yes sir. Corporal Haynes, the one you met first ma'am." He said, directing his comment to the X. She nodded and he continued. "He called them but they didn't answer. I don't think they speak French. They must be from the local village."

"What village is this?" The CO asked, clearly happy they'd managed to find some information on the land around Yurnijak.

"I don't think it has a name sir, but we're calling it 'Ville Morte'. Haynes idea sir, it's French for 'the dead city'. Apt I think. There were bodies everywhere. Someone had come through there recently. It's no wonder those men were scared."

"And it's right near the beach?" Black Box nodded to the CO's question. "Near the docks of Yurnijak." Black Box nodded again. "Can you lead us to this village? I have a feeling our men might be there."

Black Box smiled. "My pleasure sir. My men will be ready to go as soon as you want them to." The CO smiled at the officer and waved them away. He and Scruffy left the bridge with Buffer. The CO went to the X. "I say we leave it till the morning. We're no good in fading light. They'll have the wood on us in there."

The X nodded. Somewhere nearby ET's voice came across again. "I agree sir." He said with a chuckle. Clearly they'd forgotten he and Rembrandt were still on the line. The CO leant over and hung up on them abruptly. "We'll need a plan. I'll talk to Buffer tonight."

The X frowned. "And Black Box and his men?"

The CO shrugged. "Maybe." He saw the X's face. "I'm sorry X, but I don't quite understand why they've deserted the Kanimbla to help us. Straight out, I don't trust them. It's unfortunate, but we must be wary of why they've risked their jobs to do this." The X nodded slowly, realising it had occurred to her too. No one in their right mind went against their government for no gain or reason. The CO was doing it to save his men, but why was Rembrandt helping? The X didn't want to distrust her old friend or ET, but the question had crossed her mind. "We call on them when we need them. Back up, not leading. I'll lead the men out tomorrow morning, early so we don't miss the move from the village to the docks." He glanced up at the islands. "There's definitely more to this than meets the eye, and I don't want to find out half-way through trouble that Rembrandt's men were betraying us all along."


	11. Chapter 10: Dead Men, Live Men

Chapter Ten;  
Dead Men, Live Men

_Time since Bomber's kidnapping: 45hrs, 1min_

The night before the younger members of the crew and a few of the army men had gathered around to talk. In the corner of the mess Spider had watched them, Bomber's Atlas on his lap. He wasn't sure why, but he didn't like them. Whether it was just these men in general or how easily they had risked their lives to help the Hammersley. He didn't know that his thoughts were being echoed by the ship's command, he just thought he was being paranoid, and eventually put down the Atlas to speak to them. As he'd joined them he found RO and Scruffy in a conversation about encryption codes, what she was now using to keep the Hammersley off Kanimbla's radar and their radios off the main system. RO looked thoroughly impressed, but as Spider listened he just got more and more confused.

"Essentially the encryption code works like those on computers do. They mask the real message, making it only capable to be read by those with the right code. See, the code is a string of unintelligible characters, something very hard to hack into. It works on a mathematical formula." She beamed, clearly enjoying herself.

RO gaped then got his voice back. "But surely someone can hear it, know it's there, hack into it?"

Scruffy nodded. "Of course they can. Any cryptologist can do it. But how many cryptologists have you met in the Navy? I know one that works at base but even he couldn't get this one. Anyway, that's why we're sending our messages on a different signal to the one the Navy employs. A civilian signal. To anyone hearing our message it sounds like whale song on a civilian signal. I think it would be hilarious." She laughed a high tinkering laugh that made Spider look up from staring at the table.

RO nodded back at her. "So it sounds like what? Whale song?" He frowned, but an amused frown.

Scruffy shrugged. "Not exactly. White noise with a few noises of crackles and stuff broken in. Like your Buffer said he heard from your radios when you were on the island. Hopefully these codes have fixed that problem too. See, when you put up a code it not only keeps the information from going out, it also stops interruptions going in. Clearly somewhere on that island is a power source that affects the radio signals. Now there's a firewall between the radios and the outside world you'll have clearer radios too."

"But what about radar? Did you use the same thing on those?"

Scruffy shook her head. "No, that was steganography, made you invisible on the Kanimbla radars. I had to do that to the Kanimbla itself, so on all other radars you're still there. But on all other radars you're an unregistered civilian boat. Of course, no use to you if someone actually looks out from the island and sees the ship. I can't make you literally invisible, just electronically invisible. Steganography hides your ship. On the radar of the Kanimbla you're hidden by interference. When they look on the radar at the spot where your ship is, all they see is black fuzz. They assume nothing, just interference from the island. The fact that the island seems to be full of interference will help that cause. And that's why you have to hide the Hammersley from naked eyes. All my good work will be wasted."

RO shook his head in awe. "How did you manage this?"

"Our radar operator and navigator, Radar, is good at his job but gets bored easily. He looked away, I pounced. It's easy once you have the right codes and access. Being the Communications and Information Sailor helps."

"Don't get her talking about herself, she'll go on for hours." Said a voice from the door. They looked up at the army leader they had seen earlier, a balding man in his late 20s. Spider and RO frowned, but Scruffy grinned and waved him in, introducing the sailors in front of her. The man introduced himself as Warrant Officer Phil Riley. Scruffy frowned at him. "Call him Black Box."

RO laughed, seemingly getting the joke, but Spider frowned again. Black Box explained. "She," He thumbed towards Scruffy. "… thought I needed a Navy-style nickname."

"And like all good black boxes, he's full of information he only ever reveals after everyone needs it." She grinned up at him warmly.

He directed his comment to her. "I'm going out with the others tomorrow morning alright." He lowered his voice so the others wouldn't hear. Bored, RO looked away, but his suspicions raised Spider leant forward a little to hear them. They didn't notice him. "Remember what I told you to do right?"

Scruffy nodded slowly, looking him in the eyes. "Yeah, I know. I'll do it, I promise." She gave him a weak smile and he kissed her forehead before looking back up at Spider with a grin that the young sailor thought was so fake. "You coming out tomorrow mate?" He asked Spider.

Spider nodded. "Yeah." He said softly.

Black Box grinned. "Save the girl, that's my boy." Scruffy whacked him, clearly embarrassed by his forwardness. He laughed. "Long as she's worth it buddy. I got this one by having the misfortune of working with her father." He patted Scruffy's shoulder as she made to hit him again, then left the room. Scruffy just gave him an apologetic smile and followed him out. Spider watched them go now even more sure that he didn't want Black Box and his men anywhere near the rescue mission.

* * *

It was early, very early, as the two RHIBs bounced across the water towards the beach they had landed on the day before to pick up the army men. In the first RHIB was the first search party consisting of the CO, Pierce and Dutchy. With them were Black Box and four of his men. In the second RHIB was the second search party of Buffer, Swain and Spider as well as Haynes and the rest of the army men. All eyes were on the beach in front of them, deathly silent in the dawn light. The CO glanced back at Black Box who gave him a smile then turned his eyes back to the beach. He still wasn't sure about the army men, but had assigned them a back-up task anyway, hoping he wouldn't have to use them. He wanted this extraction quick and painless, now having narrowed the search area down to a matter of houses thanks to information from Black Box about the basic layout of the village and what houses had been covered in bodies. There had been a pattern to the death, a steady line leading to a group of houses on the outskirts of the town, all small and silent hidden away in trees. The two search parties were to start at each end and work their way through the houses, entering the small thatched houses through the roof where they wouldn't be expected. If the house was empty or clean, it was back through the roof and onto the next one. Out of the front of the houses the army men hid, standing guard in case anyone moved during this time. Their task was to capture anyone seen moving between the homes in case they were relaying information about the Navy men. But if the captives turned dangerous, they were free to shoot. The CO couldn't believe it had come to this, but they knew now that they didn't have long to get their men. Drastic measures needed to be taken.

Reaching the shore they split up, Buffer leading his men south towards the docks and their end, the CO and Black Box leading their men east and around to the other side of the small village. Black Box and his men dropped into the bushes and disappeared from sight as they reached the village, but the CO and the others continued, heading for the first house on their short list. It was all quiet and as they rounded to the back of the house, guns held high, they peered through the windows. There was no one inside. In fact, scanning the house and finding every room had windows, they gathered this wasn't the house they were looking for. Not bothering to go inside, they moved on to the next one. The next one was much the same, deathly quiet, and they worried that they had already missed the movement. But when they reached the third one they found someone awake. And he had heard them coming. They dropped to the ground as he fired through the window. Then the firefight began.

* * *

Over on the other side of the village Buffer looked up at the sound of gunfire. They'd checked three houses so far, all of them deathly silent and empty. Like the CO they were starting to worry they had missed the move of Bomber and ultimate death of Caesar. But then they heard the fighting and Black Box's voice across the radio. He was asking who it was firing. The CO answered. "Hostiles, 4 of them. I repeat, 4 hostiles. House 3 east. Assistance required."

Black Box replied. "Sending 6 men to you now sir." Then the radio fuzzed over again.

Buffer put his radio down feeling no need to reply. Instead he motioned to the others to keep moving. At the fifth house the sound of gunfire got louder and Buffer could see movement on the other side of a small patch of trees. They kept pressed to the side of the house, hidden from view, and scanned the house. Unlike the others this one had few windows and this struck them as odd. But then, would you want to keep prisoners in a house with windows? Windows were the perfect way to escape. So, taking a leg-up from Swain, Buffer climbed onto the roof, pulling Swain and Spider up behind him. From up here they could see the fight below. The army men had the hostiles surrounded, but the islanders kept firing. Strangely enough, they had dumped the crossbows and were now armed with guns. Hand guns. They had nothing on the army's assault rifles. The stand would be over soon. Meanwhile Buffer knew he could use the opportunity of gunfire sounds to start cutting into the weakened roof. The plan to enter through the roof had been thought up by Swain after he'd noticed holes in the rooves of many houses in the small village they had been attacked in two days earlier. Clearly the islanders entered premises through the roof. And for that reason they likely wouldn't expect the Navy men to do the same. They also found the rooves were weaker than the walls, built of only one layer of timber rather than the wall's three. So cutting through was easier. Use their own methods against them. It nearly always worked.

Once they had a hole big enough they stepped back in case there came any gunfire from below. There was none. Instead the radio crackled again. "Sir, three hostiles down. I've sent two men after the last one. You're free to continue your search." It was Black Box.

This time Buffer did pick up his radio. "Negative sir. The other houses are full of hostiles, guard houses."

The CO's voice came through. "Agreed Buffer. I guess this means you have good news for me."

Buffer smiled as he peered down into the hole. "Indeed sir."

* * *

In the small house Caesar lifted his eyes at the sound of movement of the roof. He glanced at Bomber who was still barely conscious against the wall. He moved closer to her to protect her from whatever was coming through the roof. Then, as suddenly as it had started the movement stopped and then there was a hole in the roof. Voices Caesar couldn't distinguish were heard and then, jumping through it, his gun held high and looking very driven, was Buffer. Caesar grinned as Buffer turned the gun on him then, seeing it was only them, lowered it.

"Good to see you too." Caesar smiled.

Bomber's voice piped up from behind Caesar. "Anyone makes a joke about dropping in and they'll be peeling potatoes for a year."

* * *

Spider and Swain followed Buffer through the roof, the pair of them pulled to the figure of Bomber. Caesar, limping badly, stood and talked to the man. "How do we get out of here Buff? You can't expect Bomber to get through the roof."

Buffer shook his head. "No, that's certainly not an option." He looked back at Bomber. Swain was checking her blood pressure and frowning. It didn't look good. "We go out the front door." He looked to Spider who, as if knowing he was being watched, looked up. Buffer waved him over. "Spider, give Caesar your gun."

Spider pulled it off himself quickly and handed it to his senior. "What we planning Buff? She's not great." Worry and anxiety was across Spider's face.

Buffer nodded. "I know Spider." He picked up his radio. "Black Box, we need the distraction now. We have our men."

Black Box's voice floated back through the radio. "You've got it Buffer. On my cue, prepare to go."

Buffer dropped the radio and went to the door. He motioned to Swain, who understood, and instructed Spider to pick up Bomber. Then he went to Caesar. "When Buffer instructs us, we make a run for it. We have a group of army men out there, present from the X, and they're distracting the islanders. Our job is to protect Spider and Bomber from gunfire. Got it?"

Caesar grinned. "Look at you Swain, you're basically an army man now. All strategy." Swain grinned and was about to speak when the sound of gunfire broke out. Giving the door in front of him a swift bullet to the lock and a heavy kick, the door was open and they were free. Breaking into a run, they got out of the house relatively easily before they came across the army men in a fierce battle with the islander men. Two of the army men swamped the Navy group as they got closer, but Black Box stayed back with his men. After 10 minutes of running they were out of sight and sound of the house and islanders. The soldiers turned and rushed back to battle, but the others trudged back to the beach where they could radio back to the Hammersley, contact with the ship still impeded by the metals in the island's core. Buffer changed radio frequencies and heard the familiar white noise, but as they reached the beach it cleared up. Glancing back at the others, Swain analyzing Caesar's leg and Spider talking animatedly with a still weak-looking Bomber, Buffer grabbed the radio.

* * *

On the bridge of the Hammersley everyone was waiting tensely. Of course they hadn't heard Buffer's speech to Black Box and so had no idea what was going on. Up here they were at the mercy of bad interference and Scruffy's encryption codes. But then, out of nowhere, Buffer's voice floated over the bridge.

"Ma'am, we've got them. He's fine, she's a bit sick. Tell everyone, they're going to be fine." Buffer's voice broke across the radio. RO grinned, a real grin. Nav breathed a sigh of relief. The X just nodded.

"Good news Buffer. See you soon." She put the radio down but no sooner had she done it when another voice came through.

"Lieutenant McGregor of the Hammersley, 82. This is Lieutenant Commander Price of the Kanimbla, 51. We know you're there, we received your last transmission."

Over by the EOD Scruffy gaped then leapt from her seat to see with RO what had gone wrong with the radio masking encryption code. Meanwhile Price continued.

"On behalf of the Australian Government I must inform you that you and your crew are officially under arrest. Return to base immediately for court marsh…" Static swept over him as Scruffy righted the mask, but it was too late. The crew of the Hammersley was under arrest.


	12. Chapter 11: Whose Side Are We On

Chapter Eleven:  
Whose Side Are We On?

The X didn't have a minute to contemplate what had happened because a second later the CO's voice came through the radio, his words not directed at her but at Black Box and his men. "They're everywhere, we need cover to get the men to the RHIB."

"Affirmative sir." Black Box's voice came through; the small group obviously close enough to the beach for the Hammersley to hear them.

Scruffy and Nav stood on the bridge staring at the beach through binoculars, watching the figures of the army men scurry back into the bush as the small Navy crew, the two injured amongst them, headed for the RHIBs that had now reached the beach. No one noticed anything strange as the RHIBs left the beach with only the Navy men on board. It seemed so normal. Until the CO's voice came through.

"Start the engines Charge, we're out of here."

Everyone on the bridge smiled then the X picked up the radio. "Might be easier said than done sir, the Kanimbla phoned. We need to talk."

They could hear the frown in Mike's voice. "Okay, we'll talk when I get back. Prepare to sail."

The X frowned. "And Black Box's men sir."

There was no reply from the CO and Scruffy walked back inside, frowning at the controls. Nav just took her position back at the navigation system and glanced up at Charge who was behind them all, watching and listening. He nodded and her and started up the engine, giving her time to warm up before they left. The X just glanced at Scruffy before heading down to the deck to the meet the RHIBs.

* * *

Scruffy stood up as they walked up onto the bridge. "Sir, you can't just leave them out there." She almost growled at him.

The CO looked her up and down, still uncertain about the new arrivals. "They'll be fine Scruffy. The X has told me the Kanimbla knows we're here. They'll find Black Box and his men. Meanwhile my men need urgent medical assistance. I'm sure you understand that."

"I understand that you're loyal to your men sir, but I don't understand why you're selling us down the river to do so."

"Scruffy." The Colonel warned from nearby.

Scruffy just looked at him. "No, Colonel, they've sold us out. We came here under guide of my father to help them and now they're not helping us."

"Yes, you came here, and why is that?" The CO asked, frowning at her.

Scruffy gaped. "Uh, because you needed help and my father wanted to help." She soon realised what the CO was really asking. "You think… you think we're working against you?"

The CO shrugged. "Why else would you come here? No one does anything for free anymore."

"No offence sir but you are a jaded and twisted man if you think that." The CO started to reply but Scruffy continued over him. "If you think that we trekked across an island of hostiles then faked out own deaths and risked our jobs to plant ourselves under your nose is one thing, but out there Black Box and the others saved you from the hostiles. How can you forget that?"

"And you forget that despite your masking job the Kanimbla knows we're here."

"Your Buffer tuned to the wrong channel, the old channel. I can't mask that one, it would be too obvious. Don't believe me? Check his radio. Check the channel."

The CO shook his head. "I'm sorry Scruffy. Seaman Webb has already told me he overheard a conversation between you and Black Box last night about what you need to do while he's on the island. You succeeded and now the Kanimbla knows we're here. We're taking you and the other sailors to the island then leaving. We wish you luck."

"He what?" Scruffy frowned then remembered the conversation. "Black Box told me not to worry about him. That's all. Told me to remember that he loves me… oh my god, you thought we planned the Kanimbla finding us?" She looked at the X. "Ma'am, you know my father, you know the kind of man he is. Would he do this to someone, to you?" The X looked away from her. "I can't believe this is happening, I can't b…" She was cut off by a voice across the radio. It was Black Box.

"Black Box to Hammersley. We're on the beach, please send RHIB. We have a problem Hammersley; there were more than just islanders in there. There's someone else. Westerners. This is big Hammersley." The radio crackled as he put it down, clearly waiting to hear they were sending the RHIB back. The CO ignored the radio and just looked at the X. She was looking at the floor. Black Box's voice came through again. "Hammersley, I repeat, send RHIB. The Westerners are coming."

Scruffy glared at them, tears of hate forming in her eyes, then went to the radio. "Phil, it's me. Sweetie, they've sold us out. These Hammersley bastards have sold us out. Hide, stay alive, me and the others are coming." Her voice shook as she spoke.

Black Box spoke again. "Em? What are you talking about? I wan…" A gunshot sounded through the radio and Black Box's voice came through again, hurried and puffed like he was running. "They're on us. They've shot Wilkins, he's finished. Send the RHIB now Em, send th…" The sound of white noise filled the radio. They'd gone too far inland. Scruffy's hands shook as she put the radio down. She turned on the others.

"I hope you're pleased with yourselves. I hope you enjoy turning your tails and running while 10 perfectly loyal and good men die out there, hunted by…" She stopped, remembering what Black Box had said. "Westerners." The others finally looked at her when she said this as if they hadn't heard Black Box at all. It finally sunk in. Why the Kanimbla was here, why the islanders had such good weapons and training, why the Government was making such a big deal about it. This was more than just a coup. There were white men here fighting with them. And everyone guessed the French. The CO saw it as even more reason to get his men out of there as soon as possible. Scruffy awoke from her trance, as angry as before. "I hope they fire you all." She stormed down the stairs, followed by the Colonel.

Meanwhile the X finally looked at the CO. "Are we doing the right thing, leaving them here with the French?" Her eyes told him that, despite her words, she didn't agree with his plans to leave.

The CO was silent for a long time. "The French puts a different slant on things. Before we were just dealing with islanders, trained well but nonetheless just islanders. But if we're talking Westerners than we're walking into an international situation if we go back. There will be much bigger consequences."

As the X opened her mouth to speak Swain appeared on the bridge. "Sir, I've finished testing Bomber. It isn't serious; the medicine just caused a really bad case of dehydration. She's very weak but we can treat her for that right here on the boat. She'll be good as new in about a week, week and a half." He gave them a small smile and ran off.

The X looked back at where he'd just disappeared. "We have no reason to run off but 13 reasons why we should stay, and if we go they'll be left to the mercy of some ruthless Frenchmen."

The CO nodded then turned to RO and Nav. "RO, get me the Kanimbla on the line. Break down those encryption codes, no more hiding. Nav, get Scruffy back up here. Tell her that while I don't like how she spoke to me, she was right. We're getting Black Box and his men out of there, then running off with our tails in the air." Nav gave him a small smile and darted off downstairs. The X just grinned warmly at him and left too. But the CO didn't have enough time to think about Kate's smile as Price from the Kanimbla came on the phone.

* * *

"Unless you're telling me we're losing you Mike I don't need to hear from you right now." Steven Price's voice came through. "We're on with Kuttabul so get off our line." The sound of Price dropped out and Mike growled and put down the phone.

"What happened?" The X asked from behind him as she followed Nav and Scruffy back onto the bridge.

"Price, he wants nothing to do with us."

Nav frowned. "He doesn't want to know about the French?"

Mike shrugged. "I don't know. He likes to think he knows everything so he likely knows about the French."

"Or he's just a prick." Scruffy put in unhelpfully.

Mike frowned at her. "You shouldn't talk about your superiors like that." He gave a slight smile. "But you're right, he is. Always has been." He looked at the X. "Other than him, is everyone prepared to go back?"

The X nodded. "Whenever you say go sir."

The CO nodded. "Good, excellent." He looked out at the island. "If we're talking the French we can't go out there without the Kanimbla's help, as much as I hate to ask for it." He looked at RO who nodded and tried to call the Kanimbla again. "I get to work with Steven Price again. Something I really wasn't looking forward to."

* * *

Below deck Swain sat analysing Caesar's injuries. Like he'd first though, the man was fine. Bomber was the place's only worry and he cast her another look as she sat talking to the much cheerier Spider. She couldn't sit up, still too weak, and a drip hung from her arm, but she looked much healthier than she had when they'd extracted her from the island. Caesar looked up at her too as he noticed Swain's attention off him.

"She'll be fine won't she?" He asked.

Swain nodded. "Yeah, thanks to you I think." He gave Caesar a smile. "You should call your wife, tell her."

Caesar gave a small smile. It was common knowledge amongst that crew that Caesar's young wife hadn't taken to Caesar moving to the Hammersley that well. With a young daughter, Kara Royal worried that anything could happen to Caesar on the Hammersley. She was probably right. But it didn't help Caesar to think his wife wasn't behind his move. "Maybe." He agreed softly, thinking he probably would call Kara just to see how they were.

Over the other side of the room Spider was telling Bomber a long joke he'd heard from Archie. She was too weak to give a good laugh, but gave him a soft smile. He frowned at the drip in her arm and she noticed him looking. "It's fine. Dehydration is probably the best outcome I could've got in reality. I thought I was in real trouble out there." This didn't seem to wipe the look off Spider's face so she continued. "It was quite funny really, the visions I was having. I thought I'd cracked it for good." She chuckled weakly.

Spider gave a smile. "You cracked it a long time ago."

They sat in silence for a minute before he pulled something out from nearby. Bomber recognised it as her Atlas, the one her sister had brought for her before she was posted to the Hammersley. She smiled weakly at the sight of it. "What's this doing here?" She asked softly.

Spider gave a sheepish grin. "I've been reading about Libertile. I thought that maybe if I…"

Bomber cut across him. "Wait a second, you read something?" She said humorously, despite being so weak.

Spider continued with a smile. "I thought that maybe if I knew more about these people I'd have a better chance of finding you… and Caesar." He added the last two words quickly, caught out.

Bomber looked away for a second then gave another smile. "You read something?" Spider gave in and laughed. "You don't need to know these people Spider to know they're a country in crisis with nothing to lose. That was why they took me." She said seriously. His smile slumped. "C'mon, cheer up." She gave a small laugh. "And stop reading, it's scaring me. They say that ignorance is bliss and you're the happiest person I know."

Spider just shook his head and stood up, Bomber watching him, and then he took her by surprise by leaning down and kissing the bridge of her nose softly. "Stay out of trouble." He said with a smile. Then he left the room. Bomber's eyes followed him the whole way out.


	13. Chapter 12: The Right Side Of The Fight

Chapter Twelve;  
The Right Side of the Fight

The Kanimbla was quiet, too quiet for Radar's liking and so the easily distracted Leading Seaman had started singing softly under his breath. Over by the radio controls the Kanimbla's head CIS sailor was analysing some data while the R.O frowned over the codes before him. Both were trying, failing, to crack whatever encryption code was hiding the Hammersley. Since that first transmission from the Hammersley's Petty Officer Tomaszewski to Lieutenant McGregor the Kanimbla had heard nothing. Now, their attention turned away from the island before them for a moment, they were desperately scanning the airways for any sign of the Hammersley.

Sitting in his captain's chair at the front of the ship, Lieutenant Commander Steven Price knew it was likely a lost cause. Like Mike Flynn, Price knew the hidden talents and lives of every one of his men (and there were substantially more than 21 on the Kanimbla), but unlike Flynn he didn't care. Of course he showed interest when he needed to use them, or in this case crack them, but essentially he didn't care. He knew Scruffy was behind this. His third in command CIS sailor, the back up's back up in reality, she'd always shown her fair share of wild child behaviour. Having complained twice before about her antics, Price had now given up on her, knowing that the Rembrandt's daughter wasn't going anywhere soon. So the morning before when she had started behaving strangely Price had guessed enough. He'd let her go on the boarding party with her boyfriend's men. Listened as the Colonel had pulled his little 'men down' trick. Feigned shock for the rest of the crew, dismay, but he'd known better. He knew perfectly well that Scruffy was alive and well on the Hammersley. So when he'd seen the interference on the radar screen, heard the white noise through the radio when they tuned in the Hammersley, he'd pretended it was nothing. It was better to tell the crew that the men were dead and the Hammersley wasn't around than the truth that the Hammersley, one of the most celebrated ships in the patrol boat fleet, had gone against Canberra's wishes.

But then the radio had given him away. The sound of the Buffer across the radio talking about finding their men; the missing Leading and Able Seamen. So Price had no choice but to reply. Tell them the truth. They were in a lot of trouble.

It wasn't through giving a damn about the Hammersley's men that he'd been prepared to ignore them, but more about getting the job done. Out there on that island was a whole bunch of Frenchmen, hell-bent on getting something that Canberra knew they didn't want the French to have but weren't prepared to tell someone as low-ranking as Price what it was. He doubted even his Commander down in Sydney knew. But Price had learnt a long time ago that it wasn't his job to know or to question, it was his job to do and obey. Blind and uneducated he stumbled into battle with his men hoping to god that he knew enough about his enemy to fight them. And hoping to god they didn't know much about him.

* * *

Mike Flynn's call, like the Buffer's radio signal, had come completely out of the blue and he'd watched his radio operator almost wet his pants with shock as he picked up the phone to hear Mike's voice. When he'd called Price had been busy receiving information from the Kuttabul about the French and hadn't wanted anything to do with the Hammersley, but now as Price sat staring at the horizon wondering where they were hidden, he thought he should call them back. Unless Scruffy had put the encryption codes back up. Price doubted it. He knew Mike. He'd be sitting there waiting for an answer from Price. It was cocky, but Price knew he was right. But before he could get onto the Hammersley, another voice came through the radio. It was the French.

"Australians. We do not come for you, we leave you alone."

"Well that's an encouraging thought." Price muttered nonchalantly. Radar snickered.

The French voice continued. "But if you get in our way, we will be forced to react." The line went silent.

Price wasn't fazed easily. He just glanced at his radio controller. "Get me the Hammersley."

Lieutenant Commander Flynn picked up two minutes later, clearly not pleased to hear from the Kanimbla so soon. "What do you want Price?"

Price gave a wry smile. "Good to hear from you too Mike." He picked up the phone so he could talk to Mike privately. "The French know we're here. They're on to us."

Mike scoffed. "I could've told you that before but you refused to listen to me then. You know they have one of your team right? Black Box Riley's men." Price could almost picture Mike's superior smirk, but of course Price knew about his renegades.

"Black Box and his ability to lead his men into trouble on the tail of Rembrandt Murphy is the least of my problems Mike. I'm sure you know this better than I do that we're not talking your average pissed-off frog here, we're talking Marines."

There was a stunned silence from Mike's end as he realized that Price knew everything, _everything_, that went on around him. You didn't come to skipper a ship like the Kanimbla without being very very good at what you did.

Eventually Mike regained his voice. "Of course I know that Steven, that you know, otherwise you wouldn't be here informing us that we are arrested."

Price chuckled. "Don't shoot the messenger Mike, this came from Canberra, not me personally. That said, you know I'm not a fan of your tactics Mike. They get people killed."

He could almost hear Mike frown. "A lot less people die under my command than under yours Price." He growled.

Price smiled. "Now come on Mike, let's not make this personal. Essentially we're on the same side here. That said you're practically a fugitive so even talking to you now probably isn't my best idea, but despite my cold demeanor Mike I do worry that you and your Hammersley faithful are about 10 metres away from disaster if you do not listen to the information I have to share."

"You're actually going to share information with us? I thought this was all top-secret need-to-know stuff?" His wit didn't work on Price.

"When you're done acting like a hurt 13-year-old girl Mike, then we can get down to business. Answer one; yes the Australian Government did know the French were coming to Libertile. No, they don't know why. Answer two; yes we can and will offer you protection and there's more coming in the form of the Stuart and the Parramatta. They'll be here in three days. Answer three; yes we do have more information on the French they have not already shared with you over the radio such as that they have two Cassard and Foudre class ships on the way and that the French Government has backed this. Answer four; you stay out of our way Hammersley and we'll get Black Box and his men back. Of course, should you desire to go after them yourselves we may be forced to reconsider the good word I'm putting in for you and your men."

Mike was silent, stunned silence Price guessed, then finally his voice came through. Angry. "Answers 1 to 3 I'll accept Steven, but we will not stand back and watch you. It'll be a combined effort, getting the men back and then we'll leave you to your own devices."

Price smiled. He'd expected that. "No good word Mike." He mocked.

"You know where you can stick your good word Price."

Price nodded. "It's a deal then Hammersley. Come on round back to our side of the island. We miss seeing your pretty face." And then he hung up on the Hammersley.

* * *

The Hammersley joined the Kanimbla 35 minutes later. Price smiled and waved from the deck as they got closer and then he watched as one of their RHIBs dropped into the water. Coming over were five figures. He recognised two of them, and knew the others by name and picture. Mike, Scruffy, Kate McGregor, Peter Tomaszewski and Chris Blake. He ordered their RHIB to be lifted onto the Kanimbla and then joined them on the deck, the flight deck complete with helicopters stretching away behind him. Next to the Kanimbla Mike's Hammersley looked positively pathetic. At only 56.8 metres with 2 machine guns and a Rafael Typhoon, she lacked the size and power that Kanimbla had, but somehow she'd managed to survive the island and Price put this down to the five people standing before him. He gave them his usual mocking smile. There was only one person who knew Steven's true smile, and that was his wife Leslie. No one else saw it. Ever.

"So who has control of the Hammersley with you lot here?" He teased.

Scruffy scowled at him, but the others looked disinterested. Mike gave a meek smile. "Not that you really care but our navigator Lieutenant Caetano."

Price breathed a facetious sigh of relief. "I'm so glad you didn't leave it to a junior sailor Mike." He teased, having a go at something only he and the Hammersley commanding officer understood. Mike shot daggers at him with his eyes as Price continued. "Actually, I'm glad you're all here. I have information and requests." He turned his attention to Scruffy. "You can lose whatever it is that you did to my navigation system then consider yourself banned from the Kanimbla bridge forever."

"How about you just kiss my a…" She started angrily but Kate McGregor cut across her.

"She'll do it, won't you Seaman Murphy?" She gave Scruffy a withering look.

Scruffy nodded. "Yes ma'am."

Price chuckled. "Oh, she listens to you. Nice. You can keep her then." He looked at Scruffy again. "I'm putting in a formal complaint about you when we get back to Sydney. You can consider yourself out of a job."

"I'll vouch for her." Mike spoke up and Scruffy gave him a fleeting glance.

Price raised his eyebrows. "Clearly you forget you're a marshalled man Mike Flynn, but if you want to take her down with you I'm fine with that. Just, whatever you do, don't trust her." But Price could see in Mike's eyes that the CO didn't and felt a little more respect for his old ally. "But let's get up to the bridge and get you that information." They followed him up to the Kanimbla's bridge, 4 times bigger than the Hammersley's and filled with many more people. Scruffy went straight to the navigation system, rudely shouldering a young brunette man out of her way. He shot her a cold look that she ignored. Price waved him over. "Radar, get that information about the French." Radar went to the other side of the bridge where files of papers stood. He extracted a list and returned to Price. Price glanced at it then handed it to Mike. "Straight from Canberra. The latest intell on the 1st and 2nd rank frigates." Scruffy gave him a confused look and he continued. "In all senses of the term 1st rank frigates are French destroyers, but an oddity about the French, they don't use that word. They call them first rank frigates and what we call frigates they call 2nd rank frigates." He chuckled. "French." He muttered, shaking his head. Scruffy went back to work.

"The Foudre, the Jean Bart and the Priarial. What do we know about them?"

"The Foudre is the French equivalent of this little beauty." We waved at the Kanimbla beneath his feet. "The Jean Bart is your average destroyer, few men but enough missiles to sink a small armada. The Priarial is the strange one. In all senses she's a light monitoring frigate."

"A glorified viewing platform for dignitaries." Radar piped up, clearly feeling unwanted with Scruffy sitting at his controls.

Price nodded. "But how many viewing platforms do you find with the ability to hold Marines as well as four anti-ship Exocet missiles and a 100mm gun? That and they're based in Tahiti. They're already here, and that's where these Frenchman come from. Problem is, there's more coming."

"So what do we do?" Mike asked, looking at the names again.

Price nodded. "I was hoping you'd ask that." He motioned to Radar who disappeared off the bridge to get something. "The basic gist is this; we storm in, we save Black Box's sorry useless behind, and beat some frogs."

Kate pulled a face and the Buffer rolled his eyes and looked away, but Mike nodded. "Sounds like a plan."


	14. Chapter 13: Where We Are, What We Come

Chapter Thirteen;  
Where We Are, What We Come From

The sky was getting dark outside before they got back to the Hammersley. With Bomber still out of the kitchen, her kitchen duties were taken over by a now constantly pouting Archie who managed spaghetti bolognaise, the extent of his culinary skills. The CO and X sat on the bridge, twirling spaghetti on their forks and looking at the island before them.

"What is it with you and Price?" She eventually asked right out of the blue.

The CO frowned. "It's a very long story." He glanced at her to find she had stopped, her fork frozen in mid-air, spaghetti slipping off it and back onto her plate as she watched him. He gave her a wry smile. "A long story I'm not going into right now."

She gave him a frown, one that basically said 'oh come on' and the CO sighed. "We served together, a long ago, on the Ipswich. We were both only Petty Officers then. We both made mistakes." He looked away from her eyes that were now searching his face for expression. He kept blank. "Our mistakes cost someone their life."

The X gaped. "What? How did it happen?"

The CO finally looked at her, just in time to see Nav and RO join them on the bridge, deep in their own discussion and not noticing they were interrupting their CO. He frowned and went back to his spaghetti silently while the X, finished and tired of the CO not telling her anything, stood up and left the bridge.

Mike watched her go with a small sigh.

* * *

RO held up the phone. "Sir, Rembrandt." He said lazily, calls from Rembrandt becoming as normal as calls from base. Mike switched the phone on to speaker.

"Evening Hammersley." Rembrandt said loudly, the sound of someone knocking about in the background clear through the speaker.

Mike frowned. "You can't still be at base." He commented, glancing at his watch to make sure he had the time right. He was right. It was 2200.

Rembrandt chuckled. "No, some of us have a missus to get home to. Actually, I was hoping to talk to you in private. My Katie too, if she's there." His voice had turned serious. RO frowned. Kate hadn't returned to the bridge but it wouldn't take much to find her.

"Okay Rembrandt." He turned off the speaker and picked up the phone. "What's this about?"

Rembrandt's frown was clear in his voice. "It's about your treatment of my Emma and her friends."

Mike nodded silently then looked at RO. Without asking RO diverted the call to Mike's office then called on the X to meet Mike there. When he arrived at his cabin she was waiting for him.

"What's happened?" She asked.

Mike just shook his head then ushered her inside. Rembrandt was waiting patiently. "Alright Brian, what's she been telling you?" Mike asked, shutting the door and turning on the speaker again.

Kate looked confused but stayed quiet.

"She says you don't trust her Mike. That you left Riley and his men on Libertile."

Mike sighed. This was the problem with working with the Seamen of other crews. They always made things personal and exaggerated what you did wrong. "She did, did she?" He grumbled.

"She also told me you vouched for her in front of Price, I don't think this is a slur on your character Mike." Brian continued, almost guessing what the CO was thinking.

The three of them were quiet for a minute. "Why don't you trust my men Mike?" Rembrandt finally asked.

Kate looked uncomfortable but Mike didn't falter. "I don't even know you Rembrandt. I don't know your motives."

Rembrandt sighed loudly. "Okay, so it's time for the truth is it?"

Kate finally spoke. "What do you mean 'the truth' Brian?" She shot Mike a frown.

"Why I'm here. Why you had the job on the Darwin before this. Kate, I'm sorry I haven't told you this until now."

Kate glanced at the phone intently. "What?"

"Kate, I'm your uncle."


	15. Chapter 14: Hidden

Chapter Fourteen;  
Hidden

"You what?" Mike gasped. He didn't believe what he'd just heard.

Kate was frowning. "But, how? You're only 10 years older than me."

"Yeah, I was mum's big mistake." He murmured. "It was a long time after your grandparents split up. My mother, your grandmother, met my father on a holiday down here in Australia. I was born here and then adopted away to my parents; the Murphys. I only found out who my birth parents were 15 years ago and then I found you. But I couldn't tell you. You and your parents had such a good image of your grandmother that I couldn't tell you what she'd done."

Kate gasped. "You were at her funeral." She frowned. "I told you I thought you looked so familiar the first time we met."

Rembrandt sighed. "I'm sorry Katie. This is why I sent my Emma to help you. Because you're my niece Katie and I'm supposed to look out for you."

Mike was still frowning at the phone, but now he looked at Kate he could see she believed him. She was biting her lip, deep in thought, before speaking again. Her voice a little constricted. "Emma? She's my cousin." Mike knew Kate didn't have any cousins and clearly was a little taken aback by this revelation.

Rembrandt murmured a yes reply.

Kate smiled softly. "I don't know wh…"

Mike changed back to the subject at hand. "I'm not picking on your men Rembrandt, I've just got to think of my men first."

Kate looked at him, judgement in her eyes. Clearly she now thought Seaman Murphy was part of his men.

"Of course I understand that Mike. I condone it. But I'm loyal to my men too and if we don't work together we'll achieve nothing." And on that note Rembrandt abruptly hung up.

Mike looked at Kate who just turned away from him and left his office. He frowned and sat down at his desk. It was already set to be an interesting Thursday and it hadn't even started yet.

_

* * *

_

Thursday morning, 0700 hours  
Shore search in conjunction with the HMAS Kanimbla

The snatch party looked up from the deck as a new sound filled their ears. The sound of a helicopter. It flew over the Hammersley and towards the beach on the other side of the island. All of them followed it until it was out of sight, then looked back towards its source. The HMAS Kanimbla towered beside them. On it's deck they saw a copy of themselves. Two snatch teams, dressed for shore search. Amongst them a few army men keen to help find their renegade comrade. Silently Buffer watched them, praising their commitment. But then, that was the Pongos for you. Dedicated. Pains in the backside, but dedicated. His gaze drew away from them to the sight of the Hammersley's RHIBs beside him. Then, waving a hand towards them, he and the others climbed into them.

They reached the shore 10 minutes later, met by the Kanimbla men. Their leader was the Kanimbla's XO, a man nicknamed Tiger. He shook Buffer's hand firmly then proceeded to turn his attention back to his men. Buffer didn't mind. He knew Price's plan and preferred being able to look after only men he knew and trusted. Despite the fact that he had only half the men Tiger had. He looked at Swain who joined him.

"I know Price wanted us on the perimeters, but I want to be in there searching for Black Box and his men. Direct orders from the X." Buffer told him.

Swain nodded in agreement. "Yeah, me too. But we can't exactly break that to this lot can we?"

Buffer shrugged. "Then we don't. We know where the camp is. The Black Hawk should've drawn the French's attention away from this side of the island. I say we go in there like we did before."

"Remember how well that ended though? Caesar…" He thumbed back at Caesar who stood talking to Archie and Pierce. "and we nearly lost Bomb."

"We didn't know what we were dealing with. They did. We know this landscape better than the Kanimbla men and the French haven't been here in years. We have a serious upper-hand here and Price wants to waste it."

Swain frowned. "Okay."

Buffer nodded. "Thanks." He motioned the others over, away from Tiger and the Kanimbla men. "We're going after Black Box."

"Really? Thanks for sharing." Caesar said, being facetious.

Buffer frowned at him. "No, I mean WE are. Not Tiger and his men. Black Box and the others helped US, not them. We find him then we return him and his men to the Hammersley. That's the plan."

"Where do we start?" Archie piped up.

"I like how Black Box operates. He thinks first and foremost about the best and fastest way out of things. When we lost him the Hammersley was still over on the other side of the island. If any of his men got away they'd be over there."

"So, back to the village?" Swain asked.

Buffer nodded. "C'mon, now, while they're preoccupied." He ran off into the bushes hoping the others would follow. They did. But they were being watched.

* * *

"How far?" Buffer asked Swain quietly.

Swain frowned. "I'm not sure. We're going the right way. I think. This compass is weird. I think it's pointing true north rather than magnetic north." Most compasses told north and south not by what is considered true north and south but rather magnetic north and south. Although only slightly different, it's enough to get an inexperienced walker lost.

"But what the heck could make it do that?" Buffer frowned. He'd never seen that before.

"Something in the Earth's core. I imagine the same thing that was messing with our radios." Swain explained.

"Whatever that is." Buffer looked around him. "That looks familiar." He pointed to a tree nearby. The trunk was curved slightly, like a giant had just been sitting in it. "I think we're near the village."

Swain nodded. "We are." He put the compass away and reshouldered his gun. Then, motioning back at the others, they moved forward slowly. The village was deathly silent as before. The houses they had attacked were quiet too, the men gone to help the French or dead. Buffer wondered what the French had done with the Libertile men. He hoped they hadn't killed them. But at the same time he didn't want to meet them again. They had been good fighters.

They split up and spread out amongst the houses, Buffer leading Archie to the south. Then, as they neared the edge of the village, there was a cry and the sound of gunfire from behind them. Buffer and Archie joined Swain and Pierce running back to the west where Caesar had led Dutchy. Both were fine, Caesar clutching his heart and Dutchy standing there laughing. Before them stood a soldier. An Australian soldier. He stepped towards them, looking puffed.

"Thank goodness." He bent over, clutching his side and catching his breath. When he looked up he grinned at them. "Corporal Murray, Daniel Murray. Battalion's medic. It's great to see you guys again."

Swain looked at Buffer. "Well that was easy."

Buffer glanced away from Swain and at Corporal Murray. "Are you alone?"

Murray grinned. "Nah, I have Black Box. He's been shot, but he'll be fine. I can take you to him." The younger men followed him but Buffer held Swain back.

"Do the words 'too easy' come to mind?" He asked.

Swain frowned. "I don't like this."

Buffer looked around him but there was no one in sight. "Neither do I. The sooner we get back on the Hammersley the happier I'll be."

* * *

"Buffer?" The CO asked as Buffer and the others got down from the RHIB. "What happened out there? Price is furious."

Buffer shrugged. "Whatever we did, it worked didn't it?"

The CO smiled. "It did. Good work." He slapped Buffer on the shoulder. They glanced up as Scruffy ran and almost crash-tackled a limping Black Box. The Warrant Officer had been shot in the thigh but would be fine thanks to Corporal Murray. The young Corporal was beside his senior, smiling at the pair. The three of them disappeared as Swain led them inside to be checked over, leaving Buffer and the CO alone on the deck.

"What happened out there?"

Buffer shrugged. "I don't know. It happened all so quickly. We went to the village where we found Caesar and Bomber. All was quiet and then Corporal Murray appeared out of nowhere. It was too weird. If I didn't know any better I'd say they were left behind."

"You think the French left an army officer behind? Why leave him and one Corporal?"

"If I understood the French sir I'd be very worried." He glanced back at the island. "I might be losing it, but I had the feeling the whole time that we were being watched."

"Watched? What do you mean?"

"Watched. I don't know how to explain it. Like Black Box and Murray were left for us to find. A message or something. Murray fine. Black Box a little hurt. I don't know, it might just be my imagination."

"It isn't. I felt it too. We were left behind. I know that now." A voice spoke up. They turned to see Murray standing there. A young man, only about 20, he was short brown hair and large brown eyes. He stood with his weight on one leg, showing his teenage awkwardness was still there. He had his arms crossed over his chest too but looked more confused then defensive. "I thought we were just lucky, but now I know i'm not alone."

The CO looked at him. "What happened after we left you?"

Murray shrugged. "They came out of nowhere. At first we thought they were just more islanders, but then we noticed they were white men. They moved like ghosts. One minute it was us and the islanders, next they were everywhere. Everywhere. They shot Wilkins before we even heard them. We ran, our formation lost. I stuck with Black Box. I got lucky."

"By the look of Black Box he got lucky you did." The CO said warmly.

Murray grinned at him. "Thank you sir. When he got shot I did the best I could. I managed to help him into a nearby crevice. They ran right over the top of us. I could tell it was them. You could barely hear their footsteps. We stayed there until I heard the helicopter. I ran for the village, praying I wouldn't be seen. It was then I ran into your lot." He smiled at Buffer. "But while I ran for the village I worried about Black Box. He was fine mentally and almost physically, but he hadn't heard what I'd heard. There was someone in the bushes last night. Watching us. Waiting. They must've known we were there. And when I ran for the village I could hear them running alongside me, not far away. I ran faster. Now I wish I'd stopped and tried to find them."

"It's better you didn't. They could've done anything to you." The CO said. He looked at Buffer. "The French are messing with our heads. I'm with you. There's a pattern to this. Murray's fine. Riley's a little hurt."

Murray frowned. "So, what next?"

The CO sighed. "I don't know. That's why we need to find your friends Corporal."

_

* * *

_

1757

"Rembrandt." The CO turned the phone to speaker.

"Evening Hammersley." He said cheerily again, as if everything he'd said the night before had never happened. "I believe we have good news."

"Yes daddy, Phil's going to be alright." Scruffy spoke up, a grin on her face. The X gave her a slight smile. The CO knew Kate hadn't yet spoken to Emma about them being cousins, but he guessed it wouldn't be long.

"Good good. Well, not all good. Still a few missing I hear."

The CO nodded. "We only got Black Box and Corporal Murray I'm afraid. But we're going back out tomorrow."

Rembrandt went serious again. "You may have a few problems with tomorrow and the next few days actually. You know Marshall checks all logs tomorrow. I may lose all contact with you."

The CO sighed. He'd tried to forget that. "I know that. Does ET know?" He realised he hadn't heard from ET since he'd hung up on him two days earlier. All correspondence since then had been with Rembrandt with no mention of ET.

Rembrandt seemed to answer his question. "ET's not here Mike. He went to Sydney on Tuesday night."

Nav frowned. The CO did too. "What? Why?"

"You'll find that out soon enough. But speaking of Sydney, has that rat bag Price informed you that the frigates are on their way?"

Scruffy smothered a laugh at what her father had just said about Price. The CO ignored her. "Yes, the Stuart and Parramatta. 3 days he said."

"Mmm, yeah, well, that would be 43 hours from now at last check."

The CO nodded. That seemed about right. "What's the problem Rembrandt?"

"As much as I am a fan of Steven Price Mike, you got lucky with him. He too has his pirate moments. With the Parramatta and Stuart you won't be so lucky. Their COs are Hughes and Lyons, two of the biggest ass-kissers this side of the equator. They will do anything to further their careers. The Hammersley crew are renegades Mike. You're wanted men. Right now the Australian Government is doing anything they can to cover that up. They'll do anything they can to get you home and court marshalled."

"And if we won't come?" Mike asked.

"I don't know. With Hughes and Lyons and I try not to know. Just, watch yourself with them around. Price is, I hate to say this, a better man than them any day. But not even he will able to help you if they get bored with the French and set their sights on you." The phone crackled a little. "Look, I have to go. Stay safe. I'll call you tomorrow morning." He hung up. They were used to him hanging up abruptly, but he'd never uttered words of luck before. The X frowned. Scruffy bit her lip. Something was very wrong.

**A/N: **Corporal Murray is for my baby brother Dan. I promised him i wouldn't kill him off. We'll see.


	16. Chapter 15: Priarial

Chapter Fifteen;  
Priarial

_Friday morning, 0715_

**Time until the Parramatta and Stuart arrive: **30hours 17mins

The crew of the Hammersley awoke to a relatively quiet and sunny morning, the kind they hadn't seen over Libertile in a few days. To the CO, sitting on the deck, it was a slightly ominous sign. They still had 8 men out on that island and were running out of time until the frigates arrived from Sydney. Rembrandt's warning from the night before was ringing in his ears now and made him think of nothing else but those frigates. Rembrandt had been right. He'd got lucky having Price around, but not even Price could pull enough weight to keep the Hammersley out of trouble. He was so worried about it that he'd forgotten it was Friday. Marshall would be checking the call logs today at 1700. The man who Mike had once seen as an ally now seemed determined to undermine his ever move. Now he'd be cutting off the Hammersley's last connection to base. Thinks were turning from bad to worse.

He had to find those men today.

Nearby Nav was studying charts with Scruffy and Black Box, the pair visibly happier now reunited. He frowned at them softly. It was funny how that was. He'd seen the same thing passing Swain's office this morning and again finding Spider deep in a rather animated discussion with the visibly healthier Bomber. He'd have to talk to the X about those two. But for now nothing mattered except finding Haynes and the others. Wherever the French had them.

Then there was movement by the radio and a voice came through. RO frowned at it. It was Price.

"Mike, I need to borrow my CIS sailor back. We need some help over here." His smug voice was gone and this made everyone glance up, especially Scruffy and Black Box who were sitting by the EOD. She stood and walked over to Mike to see what he had to say. He nodded to her and picked up the radio.

"Sending her over now Steve."

20 minutes later Scruffy, the X and Buffer stood on the deck of the Kanimbla. From here they could see something that they couldn't see when they were on the Hammersley, her view blocked by the Kanimbla. A French ship. As they looked at her Price joined them, worry across his face.

"Which one is it?" Buffer asked.

"F731 across her front." Price pointed out. They nodded, seeing the numbers. "She's the worst one. It's that damned Priarial, the one with the anti-ship missiles."

Scruffy gave a low, ominous whistle. Buffer frowned. Kate just stared at it as if determined to death stare the damn ship out of Australian waters.

"So what do you need me for?" Scruffy spoke, breaking the trance they were in.

"I was hoping you knew something about advanced electronic jamming signals." Price said, turning to her.

Scruffy gave a wry smile. "You mean the type the Australian Government long ago termed illegal to be used in Australian waters or flyspace?"

Price nodded. "The same type. If these bastards can't shoot us with missiles they'll have to come meet us hand-to-hand and I'll take that over Exocet missiles any day." Buffer gave a small nod. The X pretended she hadn't heard any of it. "So, can you do it?"

Scruffy smiled warmly. "Just give me the tools sir."

Price waved another guy over and Scruffy left with him. The Seaman gone the senior sailors turned to one-another. "Why hasn't she fired yet?" The X asked, still looking at the Priarial on the horizon. She hovered just within view but far enough away to turn and hide behind the island if need be.

Price shrugged. "I don't know but it's creeping me out. Maybe she's just waiting for us to turn and run."

"You suggesting she doesn't have the numbers we think she does and is messing with our heads?" Buffer suggested.

"That's exactly what I think she's doing. At which point she's screwed cos we've come fully-armed."

The X took her chance to ask. "How many men do you have on board?"

"You want the basic number or details?"

"She's a details person." Buffer said before wandering off to get a closer look at the Priarial on the other side of the deck. The X just nodded at his comment.

Price held up a hand as if counting the men off on his fingers. "23 naval officers, 2 down to one army officers now Black Box has run off on us. 197 sailors and 18 turned 9 soldiers."

The X didn't even blink. "The usual Kanimbla crew. Pull the other one Price."

Price smiled. "A big ships girl Lieutenant. Nice." He held his hand up again. "1st division, 1st brigade. 2nd division, 5th brigade and 8th brigade. SAS 7th battalion and 12th battalion. 5th battalion, RAR. And the IRR."

The X smothered a gasp then looked around her as if trying to locate these men. "The IRR? The Incident Response Regiment? They're Special Ops!"

Price shrugged. "Find me a bigger 'incident' right now and I'll let them go there."

The X nodded. She worked it out. "We're talking over 100 men here."

Price gave his usual cold smile, wavering a bit under the watchful eye of the Priarial, but nonetheless as cold as usual. "150, with weapons that will make these frogs flinch."

"Should I ask?" The X continued, seeing the commanding officer was enjoying himself.

Price shrugged. "ASLAV, the 5th battalion's precious Bushmaster." He said, referring to two sets of armoured vehicles. "RBS-70s." A one-man SAM artillery field gun. "MP5s, M203 grenade launchers, M252 mortars." The X watched him. Price was enjoying making this list. This scared her a little. "Javelin ATGMs."

The X stopped him. "Anti-tank armour missiles?" She frowned. "You don't think we're going to come across tanks are you?"

Price shrugged. "I think they said the same thing in Korea." The X continued to frown. "Better safe than sorry Lieutenant." He returned to his list. "Hence our reasoning for Claymores."

"Claymores Claymores or anti-personnel Claymores?" The X asked, nothing surprising her anymore. Claymores, like electronic jamming signals, were illegal by Australian Government laws.

"Anti-personnel of course. Don't like fragmentation charges myself but they're effective."

The X was about to speak when Scruffy reappeared and the weapons talk ceased. "All done sir, ma'am."

Price nodded. "Thank you Seaman Murphy." He looked at the X. "Get her to do the same to the Hammersley. When these missiles come off us they could go anywhere."

Scruffy nodded. "Anywhere except back on them. They're using smart Exocets. Modified. Fitted with device systems so they don't go back on them or their own."

"Right." The X said slowly. She waved Buffer back to them. "Does she have what she needs?" She asked Price.

Price nodded again. "There's a Seaman putting everything in your RHIB right now." He gave them a slight usher back to their RHIB. "So, until next time Hammersley crew."

As they pulled away from the Kanimbla the X turned to Buffer. "I really don't like that guy. You should've heard the way he was talking about their weapons."

Buffer shrugged. "The CO trusts him ma'am." He paused, lowering his voice. "But then the CO didn't trust Rembrandt and look where that got him."

The X nodded silently, agreeing with Buffer. Sure Mike trusted Steven Price, but she certainly didn't. And clearly Rembrandt wasn't a fan. So what was it about Price that had made him so hated? She aimed to find that out when she next spoke to Rembrandt.

* * *

"Corporal Haynes." A voice whispered. Haynes awoke slowly. He looked up into the face of his senior, Sergeant Chisholm. "You alright son?"

Chisholm was a little older than Haynes, not enough to call him 'son' but that was one of Chisholm's many quirks. Haynes just smiled at him. "Great sir."

"Good. There's someone here who wants to talk to you."

Haynes frowned then looked up at the three French soldiers before him. He sighed. Of course. He was the only one of the battalion that spoke French. He sat up a little higher before realised he was tied to a pole. Tightly. His wrists hurt. He flinched and frowned at them. Then, surprising them, he spoke in perfect French. "What do you want with us?" What do you want with us?

Surprising him back the tallest one, a greasy black-haired man with a long nose, returned an answer in almost-perfect English. "And you say we are arrogant country." He gave a laugh of superiority. "We do not want you. We want Libertile. You get in way."

"What do you want with Libertile? What makes it worth starting a war over?" Chisholm shot back, more talkative now he'd realised they spoke his language. But they wanted none of Chisholm. They'd clearly taken a liking to Haynes.

"Libertile is a French country." Haynes snorted but he continued. "And it is rich in things worth fighting for."

"Like what?" Haynes asked.

"Like uranium. World's most valuable. And lots of it. Affects radios and compasses. All things metal. I'm sure you know this…" He looked closer at the name on Haynes' uniform. "Mister Haynes."

"Uranium? That's it? I thought the French had uranium. Can't you get it in trade agreements?"

The Frenchman laughed. "The French get things in trade? From who? America? Americans still hate us. As do British and Australians because they do. You give uranium to India, surely we are less danger? But no. You think we hide our terrorist ideals? We hate you?" He laughed. "You make us hate you."

Haynes frowned. "What are you talking about 'hate us'?" His blood froze in his veins. "What do you want to do?"

"This isn't Bond movie Mister Haynes where I tell you all my plans then you escape and save the world." He teased.

Haynes nodded. "Clearly. So there's nothing to lose in telling us."

The man smiled. "I like you Mister Haynes. In other life we could've been friends. You have good attitude. You may go far in rankings. Make big name for yourself."

"Tell me what you're going to do." Haynes said angrily, ignoring the man's false flattery.

"French people have had enough of your jokes. The French were a superpower once, but now we are nothing. We are butt end of bad humour. The Irish get better treatment than we do. And what do we do to deserve this? Hmmm? Not blindly follow America seemingly. But enough. No more. All big powers now have nuclear weapons. We too, we won't deny that. But our uranium and weapons are rationed. Are watched. You think the world knows of every American warhead? Of every American missile? We are proud country too Mister Haynes. We deserve our own hidden weapons."

Haynes frowned. "You want to stockpile nuclear weapons?" The Frenchman nodded. "No doubt you intend to use them."

"We hope not to use them. But there is a time coming when America will be finished demoralising and commandeering the Middle East. Where do they go then? Europe. But we own Europe Mister Haynes, never the Americans."

Haynes gasped and many others in his battalion did too. France was preparing for what they considered an inevitable war with the US over Europe. This would surely be the World War to end all wars.

"You're sick. We'll never allow this. Libertile is in Australian waters. You're breaking UN treaties."

"Let them come. By then we will have Libertile. What can your men do Mister Haynes? Send your Kanimbla? We have prepared for her." He waved around him and Haynes finally realised where they were. Around him stood missile containers. They were in the hull of a very large ship.

"Exocet missiles Mister Haynes. Ship-killers. Even ones as big as your Kanimbla can sink. And when they do? They make mighty splash." He gave a cold laugh and left. Haynes watched him go with a look of disgust on his face. God he hated the French.

**A/N: **Never trust the French. Lol.

Bit of a military weapons lesson for you. Claymores are banned from use by most god-fearing nations, including Australia. This is because a Claymore is a bomb on a trip-wire that explodes with force like a normal bomb but has an added feature: it's full of tiny little pieces of jagged metal and glass. Messy. Anti-personnel claymores are still used simply because unlike Claymores they don't indiscriminately kill anyone in the area. They are focused claymores. They allow you to stand on one side of the Claymore and watch your enemy get ripped to peices. Lovely. And little quirk about the anti-personnel claymores: they have 'this side towards enemy' written on the exploding end. Morbid but true! Which is probably why Price likes them so much! lol


	17. Chapter 16: Plans of Annihilation

Chapter Sixteen;  
Plans of Annihilation

_1000 hours_**Time until the Parramatta and Stuart arrive**; 26 hours 32 minutes

"Do you think we have a theme here?" Mike asked the phone.

They could almost hear Rembrandt frown. "I don't know Mike. If it were any other country I would say no, but with the French one can't be truly sure. Murray is convinced he heard someone?"

"He's convinced Brian and I trust him. He seems genuinely scared of what was out there."

"In that case give him my thanks for looking after Black Box." He said cheerily, but his voice soon fell back into it's colder tone. "And the Priarial is stalking you now too?"

Mike nodded. "Yeah, but Price thinks there's nothing to worry about from them."

"I don't buy that. If he asks for help, he's worried." Rembrandt muttered.

"Yes, yes I know that." Mike agreed.

Kate, who was standing nearby, frowned at him. "You don't like him Brian."

Rembrandt chuckled. "No, I don't, not one bit. I tried to get Emma off the Kanimbla when I heard he was in charge. He's a dangerous man. I've heard stories."

Kate glanced at Mike but he'd now gone silent again, evidently replaying something in his head, likely the something he'd almost told her about. "Like what? What has he done in his past that's so bad?"

"He's been through more ships in the Australian fleet than anyone I know and he's left a trail of destruction on all of them. Some are pretty basic. He does what he wants, when he wants. Hates paperwork. Listens to no one. Problem is he commands the most amazing loyalty; the type I didn't think existed. People either love him or hate him. There's no middle ground with Price." He paused for what Kate would later realise was dramatic effect. "But they say he was partly responsible for the death of a young Seaman named 'Dick' Tracy. He and another young Petty Officer."

Kate gasped. "No, really?" She looked at Mike for clarity. "Is that true?"

Mike nodded mutely.

Kate suddenly realised what she'd asked. "Wait, you're sure?"

Mike nodded again. "I'm sure. I was the other Petty Officer."

* * *

You could've knocked Kate down with a feather, and even Rembrandt only managed a slightly strangled noise. When the X had gathered herself she turned on Mike again. "What happened?"

Mike sighed and took a seat. "It was about, oh, 10 years ago now. Price and I were based on a Fremantle, up in Darwin. It was the middle of summer, stinking hot, and we were actually really good friends. We constantly threatened to push one-another off the edge of the boat so we could have an excuse to go for a swim. Neither of us would actually do it though. It was a Friday morning, about this time, when we got a call from the Bridge about a suspected fishing vessel. We were both boarding party members. Two different groups of course. We had a bit of rivalry. We liked to pick the best sailors to come with us. Dick, well, his real name was Joel Tracy, he wasn't the best boarding member. He was a good kid, but a bit impetuous. We requested he stay on board and help out the others struggling with the heat. He did. Unfortunately. We should've left behind our technician or one of the more experienced sailors. But they were good boarding party members so we fought to have them. We went off, we did the boarding and everything was fine."

Kate frowned. She couldn't hear anything wrong so far. "So, what did he do?"

Mike shook his head. "He didn't do anything. Technically we didn't do anything. The heat did. The ship had a malfunction while we were out and Dick went down to take a look. Most days the boiler room and engine room are okay, but it was a 40 degree day outside Darwin. It wasn't great. He stayed down there a little longer than he should have and passed out."

Kate put her hand to her mouth. Things like this were common in the Navy, hence why no one could go anywhere alone. It just wasn't safe. "Someone found him right?"

Mike nodded. "Of course. Our CO went down and found him there. Called the second-medic and he carried him up to the medical room. When we got back and realised our competitive spirit had nearly cost Dick his life we felt horrible. Well, at least I know I did. I stayed with him until he woke up. He looked like he was going to be fine."

He sighed and Kate frowned, unsure whether she should say something. She didn't and he soon continued.

"A few days later he was right as rain. Up and about, being the 20-year-old he was. Talking girls with the other sailors. Price thought it would be funny to have a joke with him about it. Many others thought it would too. I mean, he looked normal. We all went down to the engine room and had a few laughs about the whole thing. Dick was even re-enacting it all. But we didn't think about long-term damage. The ordeal in the engine room had messed-up his lungs. He had practically given himself asthma. So, as we stayed down there and watched him, he got worse and worse. When we left he looked weak, but we thought he was just tired from his acting. We slapped him on the back and went on our way." He paused, catching a breath. "That night he had an asthma attack. That second trip down to the engine room had been too much. The lactic acid from the lack of oxygen had built up in his lungs. It was no normal asthma attack, he was deathly silent. By the time anyone realised what had happened it was too late."

Kate bit her lip. "Oh my god." She frowned. "But that's no one's fault. It was a horrible accident."

Mike shook his head. "Maybe not, but we betrayed him. Price and I were the most senior sailors down in that engine room the second time around. We should've seen things. After he died the CO quizzed us on whose idea it was to go down again. Price lied, said it was Dick's. It wasn't. It was his. And I went along with it." His shoulders slumped.

Rembrandt spoke again. "You can't beat yourself up about this Mike. It wasn't your fault."

Mike frowned. "Maybe, but if you blame Price you should blame me too."

"I can't blame you for anything Mike. Unlike Price, at heart you're a good man whose made mistakes. There aren't enough of you in the world." Kate smiled and put a hand on Mike's arm. He frowned and quickly changed the subject. "So, what's this about the Jean Bart?"

Kate pulled her hand away slowly. Typical Mike, changing the subject when things got too emotional. She glanced at him as he and Rembrandt launched into the history of the French destroyer the Jean Bart. And as much as it scared her, she could see a bit of Price in Mike right now.

* * *

Scruffy, the Colonel and the third seaman from the Kanimbla that had joined them, Seaman Jonathon 'Herbie' Young, all sat in the junior sailor's mess chatting animatedly to Bomber, who'd just been let free by Swain, and Charge. They were in the middle of a discussion about whether Seaman Herbie's nickname, which was an echo of Herbie The Love Bug, was apt, when the X disrupted them.

"Scruffy, Colonel." She waved them out with her hand and they joined her outside the door. "Riley radioed back. They found someone. We think he was one of yours. Riley didn't recognize him but he hoped you two would." Black Box and the boarding party had been out searching for clues in the woods regarding the missing army men and the men Corporal Murray had heard while out in the bush with Black Box. They'd been gone for an hour and now bad news.

Scruffy looked up at the Colonel. "Sir? Do you want to…" She struggled with the idea that they'd stumbled on the body of one of her own men. The Colonel nodded and followed the X up to the deck where a RHIB was waiting to take him ashore. With a frown Scruffy went back inside the mess.

* * *

The body of one of the Kanimbla men, a boarding party member that Colonel said was a young Seaman named Avenger, was brought ashore. The injuries weren't pretty and it was no wonder Black Box had struggled to indentify him. Colonel had struggled too, but eventually recognised him by a cut across the back of his hand. No other identifying factors were there. His overalls had been removed; his face cut deep by up to 100 gashes and his eyes poked out. There wasn't much left to the young man who, at only 21, was a huge loss for the Australian Navy. His death had been brutal, ruthless and cruel. It wasn't just death to get him out of the way. It was efficient and calculating. It was death to leave a message. Get out of their island.

The CO joined the X, Scruffy, the Colonel and Black Box on the deck as Swain assessed the injuries with Buffer looking over his shoulder. It wasn't pretty and eventually Scruffy had enough and turned and dashed off, overcome. Black Box revealed later that she'd known Avenger well.

"You said there could be a pattern here. I think they've missed a few steps." Buffer said somewhat coldly.

Mike frowned. "He's one of the boarding party, yeah?"

The Colonel nodded. "Tiger's right-hand man."

Buffer nodded. "Yeah, yeah I know him now. Jumped-up little thing. Was death-staring me over Tiger's shoulder yesterday."

The Colonel ignored him. "His name was Justin Quinn. He was only here because he wore contacts and so couldn't join the Air Force. He was a Porter, that's how Scruffy knew him."

The X frowned, the only one who knew what a 'Porter' was. The others understood though the fact that 21-year-old Justin was a victim in a war he should never have seen. "Why all this though?" She eventually choked out, quickly becoming overcome by the sight of the boy. She wished Swain would hurry up with the body bag.

"The eyes? He saw something he shouldn't have? The gashes I can't be sure. The fun of it?"

"Bloody monsters." Buffer grumbled.

The Colonel looked at Mike. "Did you know Tiger's men were still out there?"

Mike shook his head. "I haven't heard from Price in a while actually." He frowned. "Price would've told us if he were looking for your men." He directed at Black Box. "He likes the gratitude he'd get. So clearly he's after something else."

"Like what?" Black Box asked.

Mike shrugged. "I don't know. But if the French have Tiger's men I can't imagine we'll find out yet." He bit his lip. "And Rembrandt says the last two French ships will be here in 24 hours." He sighed. "Looks like we're back to war."

**Time until the Jean Bart and Foudre arrive; **23 hours 13 minutes


	18. Chapter 17: The Last of The Good Men

Chapter Seventeen;  
The Last of the Good Men

_1410_

**Time until the Jean Bart and Foudre arrive: **19 hours 3 minutes**  
Time until the Stuart and Parramatta arrive: **22 hours 21 minutes

With the austere now being used to house the two dead bodies the Hammersley had managed to accumulate (Avenger and Lance Corporal Wilkins) the CO was starting to worry whether it would see any more. Scruffy, now sitting at the EOD again, had gone quiet after seeing Avenger and Murray was still shaken from his ordeal with Black Box. Even Black Box himself, usually with something to say, was silent. The Bridge was solemn and as they looked between the beach and the Kanimbla beside them it was no wonder. Beyond that beach were the French, now with more hostages than they needed. Clearly they enjoyed killing and maiming, their work on Avenger had shown that, and who was next? Tiger and his men? Or Haynes and Black Box's men? Then, parked silently to their left was the Kanimbla. Only yesterday she had been a tenuous ally. Now she was… well, who knew? It depended on what Price was up to, but they had the feeling it wasn't good. Beyond her was the Priarial, armed to the teeth and watching them silently. They now knew she was waiting for the Jean Bart and Foudre. What they would bring no one could be certain. More people? More weapons? And the only ships with the firepower to fight them were still 22 hours away. And when they were done with the French what would happen then? They'd drag the Hammersley back to shore where all involved would lose their jobs? It was not unbelievable that everyone was down in the dumps. There was no good resolution to this problem. But a down and out crew wasn't helping anyone and Mike knew what he needed to do.

"X, prepare the search party. Both RHIBs. We still haven't found any traces of Haynes and the others, but I have a good feeling we will." He gave them a false smile, feeling as uncertain about what he was saying as he had ever been about anything. But everyone seemed to respond to his words nonetheless. Scruffy sat higher in her seat and started moving the EOD around again. RO called the boarding parties to arms. Black Box basically grinned and dragged Murray away with him. Nav gave him a warm smile and went back to work. The X nodded.

"Good idea sir. I'm coming too this time. My ankle is fine."

The CO nodded. "Yeah, me too." The X gave him a small smile and left the Bridge. The CO just looked at Nav. "Navigator has the ship."

Nav grinned but didn't meet his eye. "Navigator has the ship, sir."

* * *

11 people landed on the beach. The CO, X, Buffer, Swain, Black Box, Corporal Murray, Archie, Dutchy, Caesar, Spider and Pierce. With such a big group, and the CO's almost motivational speech ringing in their ears, they felt confident they'd find… something. And as they split into smaller groups and spread out, looking for clues, life came back to the group. With Buffer and Spider, Dutchy silently cracked jokes to a red-faced Spider as he smothered fits of laughter. Caesar and X, with Pierce and Archie, insisted on comparing their injuries. Even the CO managed to strike up a conversation with Corporal Murray who he could tell had taken a shining to him. Murray listened to every word the CO said with such wide-eyed attention he almost didn't notice a clue. Swain did though. "Sir, a watch." He held it aloft.

Black Box took it from him. "That's Sergeant Chisholm's watch. His sister got it for him. They came through here?" He frowned and looked around him. They were nowhere near the village.

"Swain?" The CO looked at Swain, the only one in the group who seemed to have mastered telling direction in this confusing little island.

"The village is that way." He pointed back behind him. He then pointed left. "That way to the wharves. So we know they didn't go that way. And to my right is the makeshift jetty near the Hammersley. We know they didn't go that way or we would've seen them on the EOD." He pointed back behind the CO, near where he'd just sent the X's group. "That way is Rehelua's Beach."

"Rehelua?"

"Bomber told me about it." He gave a small smile. "Rehelua, Juserinu, Fingar and Soth are the four ancient spirit protectors of Libertile. Rehelua was the god of the sea. He brought the rain that made the trees, supplied by Fingar, grow fruit. He is their most revered god."

"Well you learn something new every day." Black Box chuckled.

"There's something else sir. You do know Rehelua Beach. It's the big one stretching along the western coastline, right near…"

"Where the French have parked the Priarial." The CO finished. He sighed. "They have Haynes and the others on the Priarial?"

Swain nodded. "I believe so sir." He frowned. "We can't get them back if they're on that ship."

The CO silently agreed. Murray sighed. Black Box just tucked the watch in a pocket and reshouldered his gun.

"Let's keep moving. We still have to find Tiger's men." He said, clearly hurt by news his men were probably lost. They followed him into the bush.

* * *

The sound of gunfire came down the radio line and Buffer's voice reached him a second later. "Sir, we're under fire here. I estimate 6, maybe 7 French. I think we disturbed them. A help would be great."

The CO and the others, having found nothing since Chisholm's watch, ran towards where Buffer and the others should be. On the way they caught up with the X who, despite saying she was fine, still couldn't run well on her ankle. They left her behind to get to Buffer. When they got there the French soon realised they were surrounded and tried to call for support, but they didn't have Scruffy's encryption codes and got nothing but white noise. Soon they were surrounded by the Hammersley's men and many surrendered. 4, however, wouldn't go down without a fight. Spider and Dutchy chased one into a set of bushes as Murray managed to knock the gun out of the hand of another. Buffer chased another runner off to the west with Swain going after him. Caesar finished handcuffing the other three to the tree and joined the CO as he wrestled the fourth one to the ground and sat on him. The man easily restrained by the CO, Caesar turned his attention to Pierce who had been shot in the initial burst. He helped Archie lead Pierce away from the battle as the CO started to handcuff the man under him, but the Frenchman wouldn't give up the fight. He got the handcuffs out of the CO's grasp and threw them away. The CO knocked him back down with his arm and held him down by his neck, still sitting on his chest. The Frenchman swore at him in French, but the CO ignored him, watching the battle between Black Box and the last Frenchman. Murray had received a well-placed fist to the head and had been knocked unconscious. Ignoring him, Black Box continued to fight. And the Australian had the upper-hand. The CO watched as Black Box caught the Frenchman around the neck.

He gave a chuckle as he managed to flip his attacker over on to his back beside the CO. "Fucking Frogs!" He said, lining up to punch. "Never –" Punch. "- trust –" Punch. "- the French."

The CO smiled. "You won't believe me Black Box, but I trust you. And thank you."

Black Box grinned. "Thanks sir, that means a lot." He hit the Frenchman again and he slumped, unconscious. "I'll remember that when I…" He stopped, his mouth forming an 'o' shape as the sound of a gunshot echoed through the air. The CO watched with horror as the soldier's chest exploded after being shot from behind. With a gasp he fell forward onto the body of the French soldier he'd just been punching. Looking back the CO looked down the barrel of the gun of the man who had just shot Black Box Riley. Things didn't look good for the CO. But then the X appeared out of nowhere and the Frenchman dropped his gun to grab his newly-shot arm. The CO got his chance and put a bullet into the head of the man under him, then turned on his new assailant. The man saw he was outnumbered and held up his hands. Cuffing the man, the X's eyes darted between the CO and the body of Black Box. With a strength that the CO hadn't seen before she pushed the Frenchman to the ground and held him there as the CO checked Black Box's pulse. He glanced up at the X with a shake of his head. The X's shoulders slumped. Warrant Officer Riley was dead.

**Dedication: **For Phil who told me in a previously-written upcoming chapter Phil Riley was acting like an idiot. Don't mess with me boy or I'll kill you off too. ;)


	19. Chapter 18: I Need You

Chapter Eighteen;  
I Need You

_1431_

Up on the bridge the three figures stared out at the island, waiting for any signs of life. So far they'd heard nothing but reports from the crew about where to send the other members. But now the sound of the CO on the line made them look up, and his comments were directed at the bridge. At the silent figure analysing a list of radio signals. She frowned.

"Crew, Scruffy, I have to inform you of the death of a crew member." He said solemnly. "Warrant Officer Phillip Riley, Black Box, killed at 1430." The sound of gunfire echoed down the radio and the CO's radio crackled. Nav and RO frowned at the radio, but their attention was drawn away by a strangled sob from the EOD controls. They looked up to see the figure of Scruffy slide from her seat into a heap on the floor. Nav rushed over to her, the reality of who they had lost finally setting in. Black Box; Scruffy's boyfriend. Nav pulled her new friend to her feet, the fresh tears glistening on Scruffy's cheeks as she gasped for breath.

"C'mon Scruff, come on." Nav said softly, giving RO a look before leading the Seaman away, but Scruffy threw off Nav's arms.

"I'm fine, I just…" She started sharply, angrily, before deflating again. "I'm sorry I…" She started sobbing again. Nav took her by the shoulders and ushered her away from RO who now looked very uncomfortable. Downstairs they stopped at the galley where Nav fetched Scruffy a glass of water. She then lead her back to the room she shared with Bomber. Bomber sat on her bed reading, still weakened and unable to fight with the others, and she looked up at the sight of the girls in her doorway and realized something had happened. And Bomber was a smart girl; it only took her a few seconds to figure out who had been killed. She pushed herself higher off the bed and swung her legs around to make space on the bed. Nav pushed Scruffy down next to Bomber then leant against the desk. Bomber pulled Scruffy to her and lay her head on her shoulder. Scruffy who had, until now, managed to fight back the sobs, let them go again.

Bomber looked at Nav. Nav shrugged, not knowing what to say. Bomber only knew what people had asked when her father had first died, and knew not to ask that. Are you okay? It was the stupidest question. Clearly no one whose loved one had just died was okay. Instead she went with the one thing she knew Scruffy would talk about. "You and Black Box, how did you meet?" She asked softly.

Scruffy responded, sitting up and rubbing her eyes. But still her chest heaved with silent sobs. "He served… served with dad. On the Manoora. Dad liked him so much he treated him and his mates to a few drinks. It was the same night I came home from visiting my brothers in Darwin." She gave a meek smile. "It's not often your dad sets you up."

Nav gave a small chuckle and Bomber smiled. "My dad was like that, walking down the street pointing out boys my sister and I would be suited to."

"Dad's always been like that. Likes things his way. But he finally got something right. We hit it off straightaway." Her eyes got a glazed over look of memories. "He loved it when we both got posted to the Kanimbla. Funny how the Defence Force hates relationships within the different areas but didn't mind me and Phil at all." She bit her lip as tears began to well again. "I didn't…" She started to speak again but failed, finally overcome by tears. Once she was done crying again she looked up at Nav. "I need to call dad, tell him what's happening. He'll want to know."

Nav stood up. "I'll talk to your father. You have a sleep. Things will seem better when you wake up. I promise." She left the room quickly. When she got into the hall Nav leant against the bulkhead, the emotions in Scruffy's story overwhelming her, and she realised just how much she missed ET.

* * *

"Which one was it?" Was the first thing Spider asked the CO when they got back to the Bridge. Spider, Dutchy, Buffer and Swain had all run off before Black Box had been killed and returned to the clearing to find everyone gone. The CO had gathered up Black Box's body, with the help of a weakened and now shaking Murray, and led them back to the RHIB quickly. That had been 20 minutes ago. Black Box now lay in the austere with the others and the RHIB had finally returned with the rest of the Hammersley's men.

The CO frowned at Spider. He'd been waiting for this since both Dutchy and Buffer had radioed back that they'd lost the men they were chasing. One of them had returned and killed Black Box, and clearly Spider felt responsible. "I don't know which one it was. Does it matter? He turned on the X and she had to shoot him. He's dead now."

"Of course it matters sir." Spider protested, Dutchy nodding from beside him. Dutchy, Buffer and Swain had just joined Spider, the Seaman having clearly run ahead to get news.

The CO looked at the X who was sitting, nursing her ankle again, in the captain's chair. "Which one was it?" He asked her.

"Black hair, moustache." She shook her head. "That's all I recall."

But it was enough. A second later Spider turned and fled from the Bridge.

* * *

News travelled fast on the Hammersley and as Bomber returned to work, having let Scruffy go talk to Corporal Murray, she was again disturbed, this time by a white-faced RO. He gave her a sad smile. "You're needed again."

Bomber frowned. "Scruffy? She just…" But RO was shaking his head.

"It's Spider. The man who shot Black Box was the one he and Dutchy were chasing." He frowned. "I think he's in the mess."

Bomber bit her lip. "Thanks RO."

RO gave her a smile and left. Bomber pushed herself to her feet, going to Spider as RO had obviously intended her to. Spider was in the mess, sitting on the bench seat with his chin on his knees and his arms curled under his legs. He looked so hurt and so childlike Bomber would've said he were too young for the Defence Force were it not for the fact she knew he was 19.

"Hey." She said softly from the doorway.

Spider looked up then, realising who it was, frowned. "Bomber, you should be in bed, you're not alright yet."

Bomber smiled and joined him on the bench. "I'm perfectly capable of coming here and listening to you, no matter how strenuous that is. Especially when you're blaming yourself for something you didn't do."

Spider sighed, realising she knew. "Scruffy must hate me."

Bomber touched his arm. "Look, I know she doesn't blame you, she won't."

Spider looked at her disbelievingly. "I told the CO she and Black Box were working against us. That's the reason he was left behind in the first place. That is why Haynes and his men got captured. That's why we were out there today. That's why Black Box got killed."

Bomber shook her head. "Your view of the world is far too simplistic. The French attacked straight after we left the beach. We wouldn't've had time to get them anyway. The CO didn't act on what you believed you heard. And what you said was not a personal attack, it was just you being you." She gave him a smile and he returned it slowly. "No one blames you, okay?"

Spider sighed. "Thanks Bomb."

Bomber grinned and lay her head on his shoulder. "What are friends for Spi?" She laughed. "And if they want to pick a fight with you they can go through me first. I've already trademarked kicking your butt."

Spider laughed softly. "Yeah, sure you have."

**A/N: **Now SA, will I send Emma after Spider? Oh Spider… here Spider. Lol.


	20. Chapter 19: Cold

Chapter Nineteen;  
Cold

_1503_

"Sir." Buffer's voice came through the radio though he was only down on the deck. He and Swain had been casting their eyes between the beach and the Kanimbla since they'd returned, no one sure what either the French or Price would do.

Mike looked up and saw Buffer pointing to the Kanimbla. He followed his gaze. On the deck a Sea King was starting to rise into the air. Everyone on the Bridge watched as it started slowly towards the beach. But instead of landing on the beach it landed on the rock platform that jutted out to sea, what the Hammersley had called the makeshift jetty. "What are you up to Steven?" Mike muttered more to himself then anything. He watched the big bird land, drop some people off, then rise again. A second later the platform she had been sitting on exploded in a shower of rock. It had been hit by something. Everyone on the Bridge flinched as the platform blew into a million pieces, showering the deck around Buffer and Swain with rock.

"What the hell was that?" Buffer said over the sound of crumbling rock. It was an Exocet. The Priarial had finally fired. Unable to hit the Kanimbla and Hammersley (or maybe she had aimed at the helicopter), the missile had hit the closest warm thing. The place where the Sea King had just sat. But Mike wasn't focused on anything else now but the sky just above the rock platform. While the bird had managed to get free of the platform, she still hovered just above it, and she was now being showered with rocks. They hit every inch of the thing, causing damage, and slowly she started to spin and dip. The sound of her rotors cutting the air caught everyone else's attention.

"IT'S COMING DOWN!" Buffer yelled over the radio as the Sea King spun wildly, looking headed for the beach below it. At the controls on the Bridge a figure, cold and emotionless, just watched the big bird she had once maintained. No one knew she had joined them, but now she stood rock-still, just watching. The others on the Bridge looked up at her as she spoke.

"No one else dies today." She said, staring at the chopper spinning wildly. Then, as they watched, it righted itself quickly, now swaying just a little. It looked like something or someone else had taken over the chopper. With one last look at the chopper, now almost stable in the air, Scruffy turned and left the Bridge. With a glance back at her for a second, the CO looked back at the chopper. Indeed it had righted itself now and was coming in to land on the beach. The CO guessed that there was only one thing that could've righted the chopper like that, an autopilot program, and gave the stairs where Scruffy had just disappeared one more glance. He then motioned to Nav, who had also watched Scruffy, and the navigator followed her downstairs.

* * *

"Sir, we have another problem." Buffer continued, drawing Mike's eyes away from the rock platform, where the bodies of many of the Kanimbla's men (SAS Mike guessed) lay scattered. The Sea King had started back towards the Kanimbla, shaken but still able to fly and land safely.

Mike quickly realized what Buffer was talking about. All over the deck of the Kanimbla people ran. They were preparing for something. Mike grabbed the radio. "Kanimbla, 51, I repeat Kanimbla 51. Do not, I repeat, DO NOT fire on the Priarial." He paused, waiting for a reply, then repeated the message when he got none. He repeated it a third time then frowned. "Kanimbla, 51, this is Hammersley 82, are you receiving my message?"

He looked at RO who nodded. "He's getting it sir, just ignoring it I think."

Mike bit his lip. If the Kanimbla fired on the Priarial Haynes and the others were stuffed. "Price, listen to me, DO NOT RETURN FIRE!" He almost yelled into the radio.

There was nothing but silence from the other end.

* * *

"What do we do sir?" Buffer asked as he returned to the Bridge. There was still mayhem on the deck of the Kanimbla and no word from Price. Things didn't look good.

"There's nothing we can do Buffer. We can't go over there. If the Priarial fires another Exocet it will heat-seek out the RHIB. We can't do anything until we can be sure they won't fire again. They want a war with the Kanimbla. If Price doesn't respond they won't fire again."

"Unless they've already responded." Buffer looked at Mike knowingly.

"In that case we've already lost."

Buffer frowned. "I can't just sit here and wait for something to happen sir. It's not my style."

Mike nodded. "I know Buffer, but there's nothing we can do. Either we go out there, stop Price and risk getting blown to pieces. Or we stay here, take a chance and hope he doesn't do anything stupid."

"So it's pieces and chances sir?" Buffer simplified.

Mike smiled. "Every choice we make is pieces or chances. Pieces; we make an impulsive decision and go with the flow. Chances; we stand back and watch and assess, hoping we haven't missed out on a chance to make a difference."

"I'm a Pieces person sir." Buffer said with a smile.

Mike nodded. "Usually I am too, but this time we have to put our Chances hat on. We wait…" He smiled at Buffer. "And we pray."

* * *

20 minutes later the radio crackled. "I hope you have an excuse for blowing my ear off Mike, I'm a busy man."

Mike looked up at the radio as everyone else on the Bridge turned their attention to it too. "You didn't fire on the Priarial did you?"

"No, I didn't Mike. Please tell me why I'm listening to you."

"Cos you aren't as dumb as you look Steven." He looked at Kate who was grinning.

Price actually laughed. A cold laugh but nonetheless a laugh. "That's debateable Mike." He stopped. "Now, my men are ready to fire on the Priarial unless you can give me one good reason not to."

Mike nodded. "Actually Price I can give you 16. Unfortunately I don't know all their names. Maybe you can help me. Haynes and the rest of Black Box's men, as well as, I expect, Tiger and the rest of his men."

Price fell silent caught out, then continued. "Disengaging weapons." He moved away from the radio for a minute then returned. "Tell me what you know about my men Mike."

"I can't tell you everything Steven, but I'm sure of one thing. The French have your men, and Black Box's men, in the Priarial. They want you to fire. We stumbled across them today, searching for something. We fought them and they killed Black Box." He paused. "We found something else too. A young Seaman the Colonel has identified as Avenger. He's one of Tiger's men. I won't ask what you were doing out there Steven, that's your business not mine, but know this. The French have your men, and they aren't playing nice with them. They're picking off these men one at a time, and unless you and I work together, we won't get any of them back alive."

Steven sighed. "Come see me tomorrow morning Mike. We'll talk then." And Price hung up. Everyone on the Bridge frowned. Price was up to something, and they all doubted he'd tell them the truth, but they needed to be a team again now and so everything else would have to wait.

_

* * *

_

1655

As the X and CO sat on the Bridge alone that evening, both reading, the CO turned to the X completely out of the blue. He hoped to use the element of surprise to get the truth out of her. "You haven't told Emma you're cousins."

Kate gaped. "Sir? I?" She stopped dead then frowned. "It's not exactly the time or place is it? Her boyfriend died this afternoon. The Priarial is starting to fire on us." She sighed. "Plus, I don't know how to bring it up. What do I say? 'Oh, yeah, by the way Seaman Murphy, your father is my long-lost uncle, so guess what, we're cousins!' Yeah, that would go down well." She gave a sad smile.

Mike frowned. He didn't see this side of Kate very often, the one that questioned herself, and strangely it was refreshing. She looked so human, standing there with no idea how to talk to her cousin. He just nodded. "You're probably right." She looked away. "But then maybe, now more than ever, she needs family." He gave her a knowing look and went back to work. Kate gave a small sigh then left the Bridge.

* * *

Commander Marshall sat in his office. As with this time every Friday afternoon, he brought up the list of unauthorized phone calls made from the Cairns base over the last week. Now, despite the recent adherence to rules, Marshall wasn't an unreasonable man and knew that most of these calls were from young sailors or parents home to their families. He understood, like many people, that base was a long way from home and they needed to hear their loved one's voices. For this reason, Marshall usually deleted these rather than report them like he was supposed to. But this time, when he opened the list, he found over 12 calls to… 82. The Hammersley. And Marshall had a sneaking feeling he knew exactly who had made the calls. AWOL Leading Seaman Holliday and Lieutenant Murphy.

Smiling softly to himself he checked to make sure that the list wasn't copied anywhere else. It wasn't. Then, pulling the list up again, he shook his head. Clicking on the list he highlighted the calls then hit delete. Any evidence of the calls was lost forever.

**Time until the Jean Bart and Foudre arrive: **16 hours 2 minutes**  
Time until the Stuart and Parramatta arrive: **19 hours 20 minutes

**A/N: **_huggles Steve Marshall_ Oh, I could never make you mean.


	21. Chapter 20: Nouvelle

**Warning: **Language warning for this chapter. Damn Scruffy keeps swearing! Foul-mouthed little…

Chapter Twenty;  
Nouvelle

_Saturday morning  
0650_**Time until the Jean Bart and Foudre arrive: **2 hours 58 minutes**  
Time until the Parramatta and Stuart arrive: **6 hours 16 minutes

Price handed Mike a photocopy of somebody's profile. Mike frowned at it. "Who's this?"

"That is Pierre Nouvelle. 35-year-old Captain in the Marine Nationale, the National Navy. He's in charge here."

"He's not Special Forces?" Mike said, skimming the French profile for the French terms for Special Forces (Opérations Spéciales).

Price shook his head. "The Parachute Regiment could not be spared. They're currently still in Cote D'Ivoire as far as I know."

"So, who are we up against? The French Navy?"

Price nodded. "As well trained as you and I. That said they're clearly more messed-up than you and me. More like the SAS, a little cracked in the head."

Mike ignored his cockiness. Price was as shaken by the Priarial firing the day before as he was. "I've seen what Nouvelle's men can do. I don't plan to underestimate them." He folded up the piece of paper and tucked it into the pocket of his overalls. "Shall I transfer the body of Avenger over to you?" He asked, crossing his arms.

Price shrugged. "Doesn't matter anyway. If you have the room for him, you can keep him." He looked up at Mike. "You want to why my men were out there?"

Mike nodded slowly. "Yeah. What are you after Price?"

Price shocked him by answering straightaway. "His name is Inditta. He found uranium and told his tribal chief. Unfortunately the chief is a French supporter. Informed one of the few French soldiers still based here. They contacted home and now, here we are."

"So, what about Inditta?" Mike asked.

"Inditta is 7 and the only one who knows where the mine is. When his parents realised the chief was betraying the tribe they told Inditta not to tell anyone where the mine is. He didn't so they killed his parents. He escaped and has been living in the jungle. The French want him. We need to protect him. If the French get their hands on the uranium we're in trouble."

Mike frowned. "What do you mean? The French have uranium already, they don't need more."

"Canberra suspects the French intend to build a new set of nuclear weapons, ones not commissioned by the UN. They plan to use them to control Europe."

Mike gaped. "What? That's…" He stopped. "When did you find this out?"

Price frowned. "Thursday night."

Mike shook his head. "And were you going to tell us or let us keep fighting without knowing why?"

"I'm sure we've already been over that you're fugitives Mike." He said with his usual mocking tone.

Mike gave him a dirty look. "I don't care what we are Price, from now on you tell me things. We're in this together."

Price held up his hands. "Your call Mike but you aren't taking my crew down with you." He frowned. "We need Tiger and his men back and we need to find the kid, so we'll work together for now. Just remember, we've got a job to do and you're the unwelcome distraction."

Mike was tempted to give Price a bit of his own 'unwelcome distraction' but instead turned and left the Kanimbla's bridge. He'd had enough of Price's smugness. He had a kid to find.

* * *

Mike almost stormed up to his bridge, but stopped at the sight of Kate watching him. Instead he stepped calmly up the stairs and back into the safety of his chair. He pouted, doing his very best impersonation of a 6-year-old boy, before looking at her.

"Price was after a child. The same child the French are after."

Kate gaped. "What?"

"A small Libertile islander. He found uranium. That's why the French are here. They want to control Europe, will do it with nuclear weapons." He summarised the whole thing quickly, barely taking a breath.

The X lowered her eyebrows. "That's what this is about? We're fighting and dying over here so that the French can go home to the other side of the world and do some more killing?"

Mike nodded. "Yes. That's about it."

Kate shook her head. "This is insane. What have we got ourselves into sir?"

Mike frowned and sighed. "I don't know." He stood up. "But this isn't solving anyone. We need to find that child."

"Sir." Ro spoke up. He'd received an e-mail from the Kanimbla with details about where the child was. He printed out the info and handed it to the CO.

Mike frowned at it. Price had included a message at the top; 'you forgot to get this before you trounced off in a tizz'. The CO memorised the details and scrunched it up angrily. God he hated Price right now. He glanced up at Kate.

"Prepare for shore search. We're finding this boy before the French do." He ordered. 'And before Price can get another crew together' He thought.

Kate nodded. "Yeah, sure." She gave him a small smile and turned away, but before she could leave a figure stepped up from behind Kate. The CO hadn't even seen her there. "I'm coming with you."

Mike frowned. "Not this time Scruffy."

Seaman Murphy frowned. "But you need another person. The X can't do it and Pierce is still injured. Come on. I'm a CIS. I have boarding party training!"

The X shrugged. "She's right. I can't go and neither can Brosnan."

Mike looked at her carefully. "Are you sure you can do it?"

For the first time emotion returned to Scruffy's face. She was hurt. "I'm not weak, sir. I'm not a burden for your crew. I just want to help find Haynes and the others, for Phil. And if helping this kid will let me do that, then I'll do it."

Mike nodded at her. "Prepare for shore search Seaman Murphy."

* * *

"Knowing our luck he'll stumble across us." Swain joked as he and Buffer trudged through the bush once again. Buffer grinned back at him.

"I don't think we'll have it that easy this time."

Swain frowned at him. "You're still convinced there's someone out here stalking us?"

Buffer nodded. "I'd bet my life on it." He glanced back at Archie who was talking to Scruffy. Despite just losing Black Box, she was surprisingly focused on her work. Behind her Spider was deep in a very animated discussion with Dutchy and at the back was Caesar, deathly silent and looking around almost anxiously. "And I don't think I'm alone." He said more to himself then anything, drawing his eyes off Caesar and back to the bush in front of him. He glanced at Swain. "How much further?"

Swain frowned. "25, maybe 30 minutes."

Buffer glanced around him. The bush was thicker here and he knew that, despite still being surprisingly close to the makeshift jetty, the EOD likely couldn't see them without infra-red sensors. So why hadn't the French been through here yet? Surely this boy was worth the effort, so why not just risk that the Hammersley and Kanimbla hadn't turned on their infra-red?

They were quiet for a moment, just listening, before Buffer smiled. He glanced at Swain then motioned back to Spider and Dutchy. Dutchy was quoting Monty Python. Swain laughed but his grin was cut short as something small and hard hit his radio and shattered the usually tough plastic. Swain frowned and then a second one flew past his ear, just missing his head. Buffer stepped back behind a tree and yelled for the others to do the same, then reshouldered his gun.

Nearby Swain was looking at his radio. It was badly dented and likely damaged. He frowned at it then glanced back. Spider and Scruffy had darted behind the same tree and were now glancing out from behind it, the pair barely hidden behind the trunk. Dutchy was just behind Buffer and all they could see of his was his gun and right hand. Caesar couldn't be seen, but the sound of him through Buffer's radio, grumbling about the French, could be heard. It also seemed he'd re-injured his knee ducking behind a tree.

"Can anyone see them?" Buffer asked through his radio.

"I can see something Buff, but it doesn't look like the French." Spider's voice came through. Buffer glanced at him and he pointed in the direction of the disturbance. Indeed the enemy seemed to be a sole figure. Buffer frowned at it as it darted between the trees, moving with the kind of stealth that only a local could possess.

And he actually laughed. Swain had been right. Their luck had been true. It was surely Inditta.

Standing quickly and casting Swain a look, Buffer called out to the boy. "Inditta." The figure stopped. It was him. "Inditta, we are here to help you."

There was silence as the others moved out from behind their trees. Most lowered their guns, but Scruffy still held hers aloft, gazing at the child in the distance.

And then the child spoke. "You aren't French?" It was perfect English.

Buffer gaped. "Uh, no, we're Australians. The French are after you and the mine you found."

"Fingar's green gold?" The boy called back. "They say it is priceless."

Buffer smiled at the boy. "It is. And so are you now."

The boy moved towards them. "I'm priceless?" As he got closer they noticed a smile on his face. "I've never been priceless before." Eventually he was close enough for them to look at him properly. He was a small thing, his bones evident though his bare chest. He wore makeshift shorts, made from cotton, and some thongs on his feet. They were almost falling apart.

Buffer smiled warmly at the boy and leant down to his level. "Well, you are now. My friends are I would like to take you to our ship where you can have any food you want and sleep in a bed. Would you like that?"

The boy nodded, glancing at Buffer's gun then back at his face. "Yeah. Let's go." He grinned then strode right past Buffer, the others passing to let him through.

Swain frowned at him. "Uh, you and Archie take him back to the Hammersley. We'll, uh, wait till the RHIB comes back."

Buffer smiled at Swain. "He freaks you out doesn't he?" Swain gave in with a nod. Buffer laughed. "I like him." He followed the boy back.

Spider just chuckled as Buffer passed him. "You're good with kids Buff." He said with a laugh.

"Shut it you." Buffer said, pointing a finger at him. He and Dutchy laughed. Then, following the boy (who seemed to know the fastest route back to the beach), he and Archie left the two guffawing seaman behind.

* * *

As Buffer and the others reached the beach they noticed something they hadn't seen before. A looming figure in the distance, a new ship. A destroyer, by the look of it. Buffer frowned and looked at his watch. It was a little after 8. He grabbed his radio.

"Tell me you're seeing this sir." He gulped. "They're early."

Up in the Hammersley bridge Mike was already looking over Nav's shoulder at the radar. The dot representing the Jean Bart was coming closer and closer every minute. He grabbed the radio.

"Yeah, I've got her Buffer. It's the Jean Bart and you're right. She's two hours early." He gulped. "Now we're in trouble. Get back here as soon as possible."

* * *

Swain cast his eyes around him. Nearby stood Dutchy, Caesar, Scruffy and Spider. With Buffer and Archie headed back to the Hammersley with the boy, they were left behind to wait until the RHIBs came back. Swain was bending over Caesar, assessing Caesar's knee when the bushes behind him parted and out stepped 8 people. They surrounded the group before any of them could realise what was happening. One of them, an ugly dark-haired man with a long nose, spoke up. "The left behinds. We saw your RHIB leave." He spoke almost perfect English and this made all of them shiver even more. "You have the boy."

"Who are you? What do you want with us?" Scruffy asked, as cold as she had been since Black Box's death.

The Frenchman looked at her. "I am Pierre Nouvelle. And I don't want you, I want the boy." He gave a smile. "You ask stupid questions like your friend Mister Haynes."

Scruffy gasped. "What have you done to him? What have you done to Luke?" She growled at them. Swain stood and pushed her behind him. As the most senior sailor there it was his job to control them.

"My name is Petty Officer Chris Blake. We know you want the boy, and we know you have our men. I'm sure if you let us go quietly our CO will be prepared to reason with you."

Nouvelle gave a cold smile. "I don't do 'reasoning' Mister Blake. But thank you for trying." He glanced around at the others and they moved their guns. Many of Swain's men were quicker, Dutchy and Spider cutting down two before they could get a bullet off. A shot caught Scruffy in the arm and she spun from the force, but stayed upright. Then, breaking up the group in a matter of seconds, the French started the hunt.

Caesar, jumping to his feet, took Nouvelle, sending the Frenchman back into the trees under ruthless fire while Swain got jumped by two people. He managed to knock one unconscious with the butt of his AuSteyr before getting pounced on by the other. Ducking behind a tree he tripped and fell, losing his handgun in the process. He still had his rifle though and continued firing. The Frenchman had seen him fall but clearly hadn't expected him to keep firing so had had to duck quickly behind a tree before Swain's gunfire hit him in the middle. Getting back to his feet he heard movement behind him and turned to find Spider in hand-to-hand combat with a Frenchman barely older than the young Seaman. Both had lost their weapons somewhere and were now fighting it out with the most basic of self-defence moves. Swain intended to shoot the man, but his attention was waylaid when the Frenchman who had set his sights on him fired again, barely missing his head. The bullets imbedded in the tree beside him. So Swain turned, leaving Spider behind lest the still gun-wielding Frenchman noticed him, and set off in a different direction. Losing himself on the trees, he soon re-emerged in the clearing they'd started in just as Caesar barrelled into the clearing too. He looked around him.

"Bloody slippery frog. I've lost Nouvelle." He cried angrily.

Swain frowned and looked around him. He'd lost the man after him too. He looked at Caesar. "How's your knee?" He asked.

Caesar nodded. "It's fine. Look, I thought I heard Dutchy a few minutes ago. I'm going to find him." He gave Swain a weak smile and dashed off in the direction Dutchy and Spider had run off earlier. Now alone in the clearing Swain glanced around him, looking for signs of anyone. He still hadn't seen either Dutchy or Scruffy, and where was the RHIB? They should've only been a few minutes. He frowned. Unless they had been met by the French too? His thoughts were distracted by movement to his left and he walked cautiously into the bushes, his gun up, looking for movement. He saw nothing, but as he turned back to the clearing he was ambushed, grabbed from behind. His gun was thrown clear as a knife hovered dangerously close to his neck. Managing to get an arm up and back, he elbowed the Frenchman in the side of the head and the knife fell, stabbing into the ground right near Swain's right foot. The Frenchman staggered back, shaken, and Swain landed a punch to the face, cracking his nose. The man stepped back, tripped and fell, knocking himself out. But before Swain could regather his gun he heard a noise behind him and turned to see something pointed at his face. It was a gun and this one belonged to the Frenchman Nouvelle. The man smiled at Swain. "Goodbye Doctor." He grabbed Swain and shoved him back towards the clearing then down to his knees, execution style. As Swain steadied himself he flicked off the safety but before he could do anything there came a voice from behind him.

"Ah ah ah ah ah. Oh no you don't." The voice was full of humour, but as the two men looked up into the face of the woman behind them, they noticed she was deadly serious. And she was holding a gun to the Frenchman's head.

"Scruffy?" Swain muttered.

Despite being held at gunpoint, Nouvelle was surprisingly smug. "Scruffy? What kind of name is that?"

Scruffy gave a lop-sided smile. "The kind of name you'll regret hearing him whisper." She motioned to Swain then looked at him. "Get out of here Chris."

Swain frowned. "Scruff, what are you…?"

But Scruffy spoke over him. "Gun, over here Frenchy. He's unarmed so let's make this even." She spoke to Swain out of the corner of her mouth. "Your gun's in the third set of bushes due south."

Swain stood as Nouvelle turned his gun on Scruffy. Now they stood face-to-face with their guns pointed at the other's head. Swain took a few steps backward, intending to grab his gun and return to help Scruffy, as Nouvelle spoke. "So what now Scruffy? We stand 'ere until help arrive for one of us?"

Scruffy gave a cold laugh. "No, we end this as soon as possible." She glanced up to make sure Swain was a safe distance. He was hiding behind a tree now, backing towards where his gun lay. He was also trying hard to get his radio working again, but it was a lost cause. She looked back at Nouvelle with a smile. "See monsieur, you have a problem." She leant forward a little so her head actually pressed again the Frenchman's gun. "I don't fear death anymore. Actually, I fucking embrace it!" Her eyes flashed, her cold smile plastered on her face, and both prepared to press their triggers.

Three bushes away Swain stepped back onto something hard. His gun! Reaching down and behind him quickly, he whipped back intending to go back for Scruffy, but then a shot rang out. Swain froze, and then he ran. What he saw before him shocked him.

**A/N: **SCRUFFY'S GONE RENEGADE! But she saved Swain. Surely that's good karma right? And the Jean Bart's here early. Still no sign of the Parramatta or Stuart either. Is this the beginning of the end for our heroes? _does bad comic voiceover_ Tune in next week…;)


	22. Chapter 21: Family Seems To Be The Word

Chapter Twenty-One;  
Family Seems To Be The Word

"Scruffy?" Swain's voice sounded so pathetic in that situation and he cleared his throat. "Scruff?"  
Scruffy, staring down at the body of Nouvelle in cold humour, finally looked up at him. He snapped out of her cold trance and gave him one of her trademark grins. "Ready to kill some frogs?"  
Swain frowned as he walked towards her. "What were you doing Scruffy? Are you mad? Do you have a death wish?"  
Scruffy's smile fell and her gun hand shook. She dropped her weapon and it hung limply at her side. Eventually she forced out an answer. "Yes." Her voice was so devoid of emotion but it shook too.  
Swain went to her, pulling her into a hug. She took a deep breath then exhaled quickly. Swain stroked her hair until she stopped shaking, then stepped back looking at her. "Emma, this isn't how to mourn him. This isn't what he'd want you to do." Her stroked her hair off her forehead and Scruffy smiled up at him sadly. She nodded, finally understanding he was right. She also realized how desperately she needed to speak to her father.

"Thank you." She gave him a sad smile as she continued. "You're good at this protective father figure thing."

Swain chuckled. "If you could repeat that in a video I'm making for Chloe."

She knew he was joking but suddenly realised she wanted to do it. There was no one more important in a girl's life than her father. "I'll do it." She reshouldered her gun. "And I'll tell her how you and I saved the day." And they jogged off back into the fight.

* * *

Price was on the radio before Mike could even get to it to call the Kanimbla. "Hold on to your hats Hammersley, the Jean Bart is here." He said, as smug as usual.  
Mike ignored it. "Please tell me you have news on the Parramatta and Stuart." He prayed they were coming early too.  
"Sorry Mike, ETA is still 1300 hours." Mike could hear him frown. "I think it's time you made your hasty escape Mike."  
Mike shook his head. "No, not until we have the men back." He frowned. "There must be something we can do."  
"You have the kid, hold him hostage. Threaten to kill him to the French. They might back off. Buy us more time until the frigates arrive."

"And I've told you Price, he's not involved in this." Mike said angrily.

"Of course he's involved in this Mike. He found the uranium that caused all this. You may as well use him to your advantage."

Mike frowned at the radio. "I will not harm, or even threaten to harm, a little boy. That may be your style Price, but it isn't mine."  
"Fine Mike. On your head be it." He hung up on them. Mike frowned at the radio again then turned around to see the others watching him.  
"You did the right thing." Nav said with a sad smile. She was still watching the Jean Bart out of the corner of her eye as she did. It was almost right on top of them, though it could fire on them from where they were now. Scruffy's jamming signals wouldn't help them against the Jean Bart. It was an anti-ship, anti-aircraft frigate complete with technology to disrupt jamming devices. All the Jean Bart needed to do was take down the signals and fire two of her eight MM40 Exocets and both of the Australian ships would be wiped from memory forever.  
"Thanks Nav, but I don't think I did." He frowned at the radar. Still no sign of the Australian frigates. It was going to be a tense next few hours.

* * *

Nouvelle never returned. They never saw him again. Not that anyone minded. Sergeant Chisholm titled him a jerk and Corporal Fulton came to the conclusion that he was creepy. Haynes barely noticed him. He had no thoughts for Nouvelle and didn't consider giving him the time of day to make some. His thoughts were with Black Box, Murray and the Hammersley. He hoped his boss and friend were all right. He hoped they'd got back to the Hammersley. He even hoped, with green-eyed envy that they were still tucked up nicely in bed. Though many others would disagree and were hoping they were trudging through the bush, calling their comrades names in vain.  
Haynes and the others hadn't taken long to figure out that they were in the base of the French ship, the Priarial. Nouvelle had ensured they knew that. As well as knowing that they were positively stuffed. He had taken an extreme delight in pointing that out to them. But now, far too many hours into the ordeal, the novelty had worn off for everyone. The French were getting mad with their captives and the captives were getting even bored with this game. Lance Corporal Sims had even suggested asking the French to just get this over with and finish it off before they all got over it. It was a testament to how they had given up quickly.  
But that wasn't Haynes. He didn't give up.  
"What time do you think it is?" He asked loudly.  
At first no one replied, then one of the young Privates gave in. "It's about half 8 in the morning." He said, looking at his watch.  
It was the literal reply Haynes had expected, but it started a wave of conversation.

"I wonder if the French are doing bed and breakfast? I could go a croissant." Fulton joked. A few others laughed.  
Chisholm spoke up. "I wonder what the Hammersley are having for breakfast? I swear to god, if Black Box is tucking into scrambled eggs I will kill him." The rest of them laughed now.  
Haynes grinned. Spirits were being lifted. "I wonder if Murray's cooking." He joked, an inside joke referring to an abysmal attempt to cook omelettes by Murray in the past.  
"Not unless the crew have lost their minds. Keep Black Box and Scruffy away too."  
"Oh come on, Scruffy's not too bad." Haynes protested. A few made noises like they knew something they shouldn't. The others just laughed. "What?"  
"Yeah, she's fine. If you forget about that apricot chicken." Sims said jokingly. The others laughed or chuckled. But, although their friends were the butt of their jokes, it had had the right effect. The group had cheered up.  
Haynes turned serious. "We need to get out of here." He glanced up in the direction of the door and realised they hadn't tried the lock in hours. "Who tried the door last?"  
Sims spoke up. "It was me. 6 hours ago."  
"Alright, who else is untied again?" He grinned in the darkness.  
No one moved. Sims, who had managed to lose the ties on his feet but not his hands, pushed himself up again. "I'll go."  
He went to the door and turned, grabbing the handle. This time, when he pushed the handle, it opened!  
He grinned and they could finally see it as light flooded into the room. In the light they could see the injuries on their comrades, as well as how they were tied up. Fulton was the closest to escape, tied by the hands to a chain on the wall. Jogging over to him, Sims kicked the bolt free of the wall and the chain slumped. As Fulton had his hands tied at the front he was more use than Sims whose were tied at the back. He managed to get Chisholm free and within 10 minutes everyone was free. They jogged quietly to the door and looked out. The halls were silent. So silent that they were really worried.  
"What the hell is going on here?" Chisholm asked.  
Sims shrugged. "Who cares? Let's get out of here." He started towards the stairs. No one stopped him. There was no one to stop them. They got to the deck without seeing a soul. There were no RHIBs, and no chance of finding one, so Chisholm suggested they just take their chance with swimming. They were so close to the shore it didn't even matter. Taking a bit of a run they jumped off the ship, 10 metres into the water. And when they surfaced they grinned and swam for the shore. They were free.

As they reached the shore Haynes glanced back. And it was then that he noticed the four figures on the bridge of the Priarial. They were watching the army men. And Haynes realised someone had let them go.

* * *

Bomber looked up at a tap on her door. She went to it and opened it quickly, expecting to find Spider, but instead the X was standing there. "Is Scruffy here?"  
Bomber nodded and turned back behind her. Scruffy was, as usual, curled up in the furthest corner of the room with a book. It was an oddity of hers, but one that made Kate smile. Her mum used to read like that. Scruffy looked up at the sound of her name and snapped her book shut, standing quickly. Bomber invited the X in but, with little room for all three of them, Kate didn't take it. "Uh, we need to talk."

Scruffy frowned. "Ma'am, if this is about earlier I'm really sorry. I don't know what happened to me. But I've spoken to Swain about it."

The X shook her head. "No, it's uh, personal."  
Bomber pushed the door open a little further and slid past the X. "I'm going to see, uh, RO." She said quickly, making an excuse to leave. The X smiled at Bomber's departing figure then stepped into the Seaman and Able Seaman's room, shutting the door behind her.  
"I've been speaking with your father, as you know." Scruffy nodded. The X continued. "He mentioned something the other day."  
Scruffy frowned but didn't say anything. "I don't know how to say this so, I'll just come straight out. Rembrandt is my half-uncle."

Scruffy continued to frown but this time spoke. "Well, that explains why he always liked you so much."  
The X looked at the floor. "I thought I should just tell you. Whatever you want to do with this information is up to you."  
Scruffy nodded. "Yeah." She looked uncomfortable so the X made to leave when Scruffy spoke again. "You know I have two brothers right? Troy, he's 28, he's on the Larrakia. And Dylan, he's 26, he's on the Maitland."  
The X smiled. "Yeah, I know." Scruffy just grinned back at her then, picking up her book, returned to her corner. The X shut the door behind her with a small smile.


	23. Chapter 22: Beneath The Surface

Chapter Twenty-Two;  
Beneath the Surface

_1117  
_  
The world may be falling down around them, and everyone was busy with their own little problems, but Bomber needed coffee. More than anything else in the whole world she suddenly wanted coffee and chocolate. So, pushing herself out of bed and pulling her overalls back up over her arms, she proceeded to the mess. In there she managed to find the coffee container (empty!) and cookie stash (also empty!) would offer her no love. So, growling at them, she started for the galley. Halfway there she was almost knocked over by Nav who was moving quickly down the halls. She grinned at Bomber.  
"Hey, what you doing up?" She asked.  
Bomber motioned to the mess behind her. "We're out of coffee. I'm going to raid storage."  
Nav's expression fell. "What? I was just going to get some. What about the Tim Tams?" She asked.  
Bomber shook her head. "Nothing. I think Dutchy's been into them. That man has problems."  
Nav laughed. "Well he does now if he's eaten the last of the Tim Tams."  
Bomber nodded and motioned to the galley. "I'm pretty sure there's another packet in the galley." Nav followed her back to the galley where they started on storage. They found two more tins of coffee, a bag of choc-chip cookies, two more bags of peanuts and (hurrah!) a pack of Tim Tams. Carrying their loot back to the mess, they found the counter housed by another figure who was now staring at the empty biscuit tin with dismay. But she brightened as she saw the others and the bags of stuff.  
"Please tell me you have cookies." Scruffy almost begged.  
With a flick of her left hand Nav threw the cookies at Scruffy who caught them with a grin. Then, putting things in containers and boiling up a brew, the women were finally content.  
Sitting down at the table they grinned. Then Nav spoke. "This is the life."  
Bomber laughed. "We're in the middle of a war zone."  
Nav shrugged. "I have coffee. I have a Tim Tam. I'm going to bite the ends off my Tim Tam and drink my coffee through it. Find me a better place to be." She grinned.  
Scruffy laughed. "You're mad, but you're right." She bit into a choc-chip cookie looking very content. "All I need now is some Dairy Milk."  
Bomber smothered a smile. She shared many things, but she wasn't divulging her chocolate stash to them yet. Instead she just drank her coffee quietly. For a few minutes they were all silently content to just drink and eat, but then Scruffy spoke. "Why don't we get any magazines in this place? I want some gossip."  
Nav laughed. "You don't need magazines for gossip in this place. The men around here are 10 times more entertaining than your average celebrity."  
The other two laughed too. "Exactly. Do you know Dutchy's writing a kid's book? It's about a sheep." Bomber said.  
Scruffy looked amazed. "Really?" She grinned. "Where'd you find this out?"  
"Spider's been going through people's things again. He's creepy like that." She looked at Nav. "Lock your cabin door."  
Nav put down her mug quickly. "Are you serious?" Bomber nodded. Nav scoffed. "Spider." She shook her head.  
"Got anything else?" Scruffy asked. Bomber shook her head sadly. Scruffy smiled. "Well, the realisation that Dutchy is an author and Spider is a weirdo is enough for me." They laughed then fell silent.  
Nav picked up her mug slowly. "How are you, by the way?" She asked Bomber with a smile.  
She grinned. "Great actually. Better than ever."  
Nav gave her a knowing look. "That happy to have me out of the room?" She asked.  
Scruffy snorted. "Doubt it, I snore." She flashed Bomber a mischievous smile. "I think it's all that time she's been spending with Spider."  
Bomber gave her a death stare but Scruffy just grinned. "It's just Swain's good work."  
Nav nodded. "Yeah, that's it." She smiled and raised her eyebrows at Scruffy who just laughed. Nav gave her a sad smile. "I'm glad you're doing okay Scruffy."  
Scruffy's grin fell. "Yeah. Swain helped. And the X."  
Bomber smothered a smile. "I'm just trying to picture the X as a people-person."  
Nav frowned at her. "She's really quite good, once you get to know her better." She prodded Bomber. "She made you a birthday cake."  
Bomber grinned. "We try not to discuss that birthday."  
Scruffy bit her lip. "She's my cousin."  
The other two gaped, her words completely out of the blue. "You serious?" Bomber finally managed.  
Scruffy nodded. "That's what we were talking about earlier." She shrugged. "I guess that's cool. I mean, I only have brothers."  
Nav sympathised. "I know what you mean."  
Bomber frowned. "There's nothing that great about sisters." She looked at Nav. "You can have mine if you want." The three girls laughed. None of them noticed the small figure at the door until he spoke.  
"What's so funny?" He asked.  
Bomber looked at him first. "Oh, nothing. Hi, you're Inditta right?"  
The little boy nodded. "Yes." He smiled politely. "Nice to meet you. What are your names?"  
Scruffy looked a little taken aback by the child but Bomber liked his forwardness. "I'm Rebecca, this is Emma and this is Nikki." She motioned to the seat in front of them. "Would you like to take a seat? I can get you something to eat if you'd like. A drink maybe?"  
Inditta shook his head but did sit down. "Thank you but no thank you." He rested his elbows on the table and put his head in his hands, surveying the women.  
Nav smiled at him. "You speak English very well."  
"My mother was from Papua. She learnt English there. She taught me." He spoke with little emotion, but they could tell he hurt when he spoke of his mother. They all knew what had happened to her. "She taught me many things." He continued.  
"Really? Like what?" Nav asked.  
"Like how to read people's emotions and what they're thinking about. I can tell what all of you are thinking about right now by your eyes."  
Scruffy averted her eyes but Bomber just smiled. "Yeah, what am I thinking?" She asked, disbelieving him.  
"You're worried about many things. You worry about your friends and your health. You worry about the way you feel about someone. You think it's wrong. You think people will see through you. Think you're weak."  
Bomber gaped then looked away too. He looked at Nav. "You're troubled. You worry too, but more about others. You want to know things. What you're doing here. What you should do next. Where is he? You want to know, more than anything, where he is. But you know you can't fix everything by yourself and that makes you sad."  
Nav bit her lip and looked away too just as Inditta turned on Scruffy. "You're confused. You just lost someone you loved but you think you can't grieve him because you are thinking about someone else. Someone who you think may be lost too. And you feel you're betraying the one you loved by worrying about him." He fell silent as Scruffy's eyes watered. She stood quickly and left the room. Inditta watched her go, emotionless. "I'm sure he'll be alright."  
Bomber caught her breath then spoke again. "Are you sure you don't want anything?" She asked him.  
Inditta shook his head and pushed back his chair. "No, I'm sorry I've upset everyone. I'm going to find Mister Buffer, I like him." He gave them a smile and left.  
Nav laughed, but it was devoid of humour. "Cute kid. Weird, but cute."  
Bomber looked at her. "What he said, was he right?"  
Nav fell silent, looking at the table, then looked away. "I better get back to the bridge." She hurried from the room. Bomber pushed herself up, emptied her cup, and left too. Of course Inditta had been 100 right about her. She guessed he'd been right about the others too.


	24. Chapter 23: The Demise of The French

Chapter Twenty-Three;  
The Demise of the French Resistance

_1206  
_  
The sea and beach were silent. The trees barely moved. There was no wind, just the midday heat. Even the radar was quiet. The same three ships dotted the green screen. Nav sat staring at them, her cheek on the palm of her left hand. The X was seated in the captain's chair, her ankle bound again after Swain finally convinced her to do so. Charge had his feet up on his desk and looked about ready to go to sleep. Even RO looked bored. But the CO was just pacing. Ever pacing. He'd been doing it for about half an hour now. The Jean Bart was here. A French destruction machine. She shot missiles that could destroy ships. They struck without warning. They weren't like Australian air missiles. They travelled underwater. Of course she had air missiles too. But essentially she had the power to be the worst kind of frigate and the scariest submarine. A double threat. No one knew what was coming next. Well, except the Foudre who was still out there somewhere, on her way.  
RO clicked something on the computer and printed it out before handing it to the CO silently. It was from Price. The Jean Bart had launched their 5th full RHIB. They'd been sending men to the shore, right under the eyes of the Kanimbla, for the last 20 minutes. They had counted at least 60 personnel. It was very unnerving. Price had gone silent on the radio 10 minutes ago and had now resorted to e-mails. Even he seemed to have become overcome by the severity of the situation. Everyone's spirits were broken. They were waiting to die.

* * *

It came quickly, to the sound of Buffer's voice on the radio. He was on the deck again, watching the skies for the inevitable missile.  
"Sir, missile launched."  
The CO and many of the others, excluding the girls who stayed silently in their positions, went to the deck. Indeed there, in the clear blue sky, a missile had been launched in the distance. It rose, higher and higher, before turning and coming down. But as the CO's eyes followed it he realised something was wrong.  
Then Nav called out. She had been watching from inside, binoculars trained to her eyes. She'd had the initiative where others hadn't. "SIR!" She was grinning from ear to ear. "IT'S A SPARROW!"  
The next second the sound of destruction met their ears. The boom of an explosion. The ripping of metal. Screams. The waves. And then nothing. They saw nothing behind the Kanimbla. They weren't sure they wanted to see. Then the loudest crack they had ever heard, like when a big tree branch breaks in a storm. It shook everything around them, as did the wave that, although broken on the Kanimbla, washed around them, lashing her sides. It was the sound and feeling of a ship in death.  
Price was on the radio. "SHE'S DOWN, SHE'S BLOODY DOWN!" He yelled a little too excitedly. "THEY BLOODY DID IT!"  
Nav was back at the radar. This time there was five ships and half a ship on it. The Jean Bart, sinking into the sea, drew their gaze first. Then the Foudre, just at the edge of the horizon. But she was turning away. She had arrived just in time to see the Jean Bart go down. She was hightailing it out of there. The last two ships let her go. The HMAS PARRAMATTA and HMAS STUART were now written on the screen. Despite everything, the CO grinned.

* * *

"Sir, it's the Parramatta." RO held up the phone. The CO shook his head and quickly RO hung up on the Anzac class frigate. The X frowned at him.  
"What do you think they want?" She asked.  
The CO frowned. "I don't know. I'm going to see Price. Hopefully the other COs haven't had the same idea." He gave her a meek smile then left the bridge.  
The other COs hadn't. In fact, when Mike reached the deck he noticed they seemed to have no intention. The Stuart had disappeared again, seemingly behind the island. The Parramatta, meanwhile, seemed to be launching an attack on the Priarial. Either that or was just stationed near the Jean Bart's grave, gloating like a cat that had just cornered a mouse. What was left of the Jean Bart was floating in the sea and washing up on the shore. The Priarial was deathly silent. In fact, she looked deserted. The Foudre had left the radar screens 10 minutes earlier after running away. She didn't look set to return. Price had the same idea.  
"We did it Mike, we did it." He looked like a cowboy and finally his face had emotion – cold excitement. "Australians 1, Frogs 0."  
"I don't want to rain on your party Price, but what about the 60 men we saw go ashore?"  
Price shrugged. "Not a problem. We're heading home."  
Mike gaped. "What? The job's not over. Once we're gone the French will return."  
Price shook his head. "Army's headed up. Says they're shipping them off on the Tobruk when we get back to Sydney. So cheer up Mike. Until then, the Stuart is staying."  
Mike frowned. "What about Tiger and his men?"  
Price grinned. "Good news. The Parramatta has been in contact. They found Tiger and the others in the Priarial, right where you said they were. Good on you Mike." He smacked Mike on the shoulder. So he'd been right about the Parramatta and the Priarial, as well as Tiger's men, but he didn't feel any better.  
"What about Haynes and the others?"  
Price frowned. "Oh right, Black Box's men. Yeah, they weren't there. The French on board said they'd been attacked this morning and when they went to check on Haynes and the army men, they were gone."  
"What do you mean attacked?" Suddenly the memories of those talks with Buffer about the life in the bush flooded back. There was someone else here with them. They'd thought it was the French. It wasn't the French.  
"Like thieves in the night. Got on board. Killed a few. Left doors open and such. They went straight for Haynes, knew where they were, let them go. The French assumed it was you guys." Price said, looking at him seriously.  
Mike must've looked confused because Price almost smiled as Mike finally spoke. "Us?" He shook his head. He'd never send his men into such a dangerous mission. Only the best-trained men could and would attempt that. Trained far above the Navy. "So Haynes and the men are?"  
"On the island."  
"On the island. With 60 Frenchman. And whoever it was that let them go."  
Price nodded. "That's right."  
"And you're just going to leave me with this predicament?"  
Price shrugged. "Sorry Mike. Sydney's calling. We've got work to do." He gave him a small tip of his head and a false smile, then walked away. Mike cursed his retreating figure.

_

* * *

_

1610

"Sir, there's a group of people on the shore." Spider said quickly, looking up from the EOD, which he had now trained on the coastline nearby, watching for any signs of any more French. This was the first sign of life he'd had in 6 hours. Now getting darker it was nearly impossible to tell who they were but they were looking directly at the Hammersley.  
"Buffer, send out the party. Prepare yourselves." He nodded.  
20 minutes later Buffer and the others were close enough to see who it was and they gasped. "Sir, you won't believe it." Everyone on the Bridge frowned. Spider stared harder at the EOD, hoping to see something. He needn't have bothered because a second later Buffer's radio was commandeered by a familiar voice.  
"Evening Hammersley. Fresh off the Parramatta. Rembrandt assures me you need my help." ET's cheery un-battle-weary voice was a breath of fresh air on the bridge. Everyone smiled.  
The CO grabbed the radio. "Welcome back ET."


	25. Chapter 24:The Parramatta and The Stuart

Chapter Twenty-Four;  
The Parramatta and the Stuart

A small welcoming party lined the deck as the RHIB was raised and the figure of ET descended the ladder to the Hammersley once again after so many months away. Most of the crew on the deck, excluding one dark-haired woman who was watching him with pursed lips, gave him a smile. He went first to the CO, clasping his hand and shaking it vigorously. He gave the X a smile and clapped the boyishly grinning Spider on the shoulder. He then looked at the last figure and she just gave him a slightly comical frown. Giving her a cheeky smile back, ET then turned his attention back to the CO.

"The Parramatta sends their kind regards and thank you for looking after Libertile while they made their way here."

The CO nodded. "Yeah, well, it wasn't by choice as you know." ET grinned. "But you can give the Parramatta a call and tell them you're safe in a minute. Then you can tell us what the hell you're doing here."

ET handed the radio back to RO and turned on them with a smile. Everyone else on the bridge, including a small figure he guessed to be Scruffy Murphy, were watching him. Well, all except Nikki. He gave her figure a frown. He'd have to find a chance to talk to her later, but for now he had some explaining to do.

"I'm guessing you want to know the full extent of my journey."

The CO glanced at his watch. "Well, as it is only 1700 and we're waiting for dinner, sure, why not?" He said comically.

ET frowned softly to himself. Something had happened to Mike to make him slightly cooler than he had been when ET left a few months earlier that year. He guessed it to be this war. At least he assumed that. But right now he had a story to tell.

"After you hung up on me and Rembrandt I realised there was more going on up here than you were keen to share. It was more than just Samaru; the addition of the Kanimbla, Parramatta and Stuart proved that, but the way you sounded. You were worried." The CO looked away as ET continued, basically admitting to them that the Leading Seaman was correct. "I called a few contacts but I couldn't find any luck. And then I got an anonymous e-mail through the internal base e-mail telling me to contact my father. It was good advice because he had been contacted by an old friend. When my father was a Navy man himself he was the bosun to a young bosun's mate named Edmunds. They'd become good friends and have been since. Well, my father has since retired, but he and Edmunds keep in contact. I learnt from my father that Edmunds had been given the reigns on the Parramatta since Lieutenant Commander Hughes had come down with a bad head cold. It was perfect. I contacted Edmunds and he said if I could get down to Sydney by the next morning I was on the Parramatta. It was close but I got a late flight and got there 20 minutes before they sailed. After that it was a matter of staying out of sight. Only 10 people in the crew knew I was there. We couldn't call you and tell you I was coming without giving everything away to the Stuart."

The X looked up. "What about the Stuart?" She asked.

ET smiled. "Lieutenant Commander Lyons is mad. He called the Parramatta halfway through and ensured that Edmunds knew that the Hammersley were wanted and it was their job to send you lot home as quickly as possible for your trial. At first I thought he was just eager to please, but Edmunds assures me the man is mad."

The CO nodded. "We've heard the same from Rembrandt."

ET smiled. "Well if Rembrandt and Edmunds both say so then I'm inclined to believe them." He frowned. "But that's not the issue here. We saw the 60+ French from the Parramatta. They're after uranium."

The CO nodded again. "We know, and we still have men out there."

ET sighed. "The Parramatta can't stay without getting in trouble. They don't need to get caught up in this."

The CO shook his head. "I won't ask them to. They've done more than enough so far." He looked up. "But you're here?"

ET grinned. "To help of course. Just like old times."

Buffer chuckled. "I hate to rain on your parade ET, but you're just one person. How can you help us against 60 Frenchman?"

ET pulled something out of his pocket and handed it to the CO. The CO unfolded it and found under his gaze what had eluded them for so long. "The only map in existence of the layout of Libertile. "You know what no one else in the entire world knows." The CO smiled and handed it to Nav who had finally looked up. ET caught her eye with a smile. And she finally returned it.

* * *

The phone buzzed and RO picked it up quickly. "Yes sir, he's right here." He looked up. "It's the Parramatta." The CO made to take the phone but he shook his head. "It's for ET."

ET gave them a quick, almost superior grin, then took the phone. He instantly put it on speaker. "What's up sir?" He asked.

The voice of Leonard Edmunds blared through the speaker. "The others have returned, and we've finished our transfers with the Kanimbla, so I'm just informing you we are scheduled to depart at 1900 hours. There's no chance you'll be joining us?"

ET grinned. "No, but thank you sir. It was a pleasure riding with you sir. The Parramatta is a beautiful ship."

Edmund's smile was clear in his voice, even if the Parramatta was only his temporarily. "You're always welcome on whatever ship I'm on ET, just remember that." He chuckled. "Alright well, enjoy the rest of your time here. Stay away from the Stuart, Lyons is mad."

ET laughed. "Good advice sir, thank you. And thanks again for the lift."

"Alright, drop us a line when you get back to base. I don't need your father on my tail again."

"You got it sir. Have a nice trip." He put the phone down and turned back to the others, grinning. "Parramatta's off."

"He didn't mention where the Stuart was." The CO pointed out.

ET looked a little crestfallen, but he was saved by the voice of Price on the radio. "Hammersley? Wakey wakey sunshines." He said mockingly.

Mike picked up the radio. "Yes Price?"

"Scheduled time of departure, 1945."

"You're following out the Parramatta?" The CO asked.

Price chuckled. "Now you're making it sound like LPAs survive by following ANZACs? No no, just same ideas of getting home. Good luck with your men Mike."

Mike frowned at the radio. "What about the Stuart, have you heard from them?"

Price chuckled. "I don't think they like me Mike. Probably squealing to Kuttabul right now that we've betrayed them by helping you. The Australian Navy, little more than a kindergarten crèche." He laughed. "No, they're not in contact, but we have them on our radar. They're over by Yurnijak. No idea what they're up to, but that's not really my problem anymore."

Mike sighed. "Alright, thanks for that." They hadn't been able to get the Stuart on their radar for some reason. He guessed jamming signals and encryptions. The Kanimbla had better technology than your average Armidale. They could see through basic encryptions. And suddenly Mike wondered why the Stuart seemed so determined to hide from the Hammersley. What would they do when Price left? They'd never know where the Stuart was. "I really can't convince you to stay and help us can I?"

"Sorry Mike, I'd love to, but I've done my renegade stint for now. I believe Edmunds and I will be required to report back to base already for a long-winded talk about dealing with people like you Mike Flynn."

Mike understood the help Price had offered, even if most of it had been for the man's own enjoyment more than the desire to help an old friend. "I get it. Thanks Steven."

Price laughed at him. "I never thought I'd see the day." His laughter continued as the radio died out. Mike put it down and glanced back at the others.

"God I hate that guy."

_

* * *

_

Sunday morning  
0900 hours

The maps put on small hand-held devices by the technologically savvy ET and RO team, the CO awoke the next morning prepared to launch a shore search and grab his men without any difficulties. It was probably an idealistic plan, but the CO planned positive thinking to get them through. Now, with the Kanimbla gone, they could see the whole island once again, including the silent Priarial in the distance. The beach was silent and the Stuart was nowhere to be seen. Save the Priarial, one could believe nothing had happened here. It still looked so idyllic, even with the last of the Jean Bart washing up on shore and the makeshift jetty crumbling down into the sea.

The CO tore his eyes away from the island and back to the bridge. He had awarded everyone a sleep-in that morning and so the first few out of bed were making their appearances. Only eleven had been called on to work today, but everyone was up, even Bomber who was wrapped in a blanket against the wind that had picked up overnight. She stood on the deck with the X as they boarded the RHIBs, giving her friends Scruffy and Spider a smile. The CO looked at the X, but she was looking elsewhere and he followed her eyes to Nav who was still on the bridge, trying very hard herself to ignore the shore party. She was failing, her attention continually drawn back to a certain new addition to the team.

The CO got back to business. He called to Charge who had come to the deck. "Prepare to sail when we return." He smiled.

Charge grinned. "Absolutely sir." He nodded and strode inside. Then, giving the X one last look, the CO turned his attention back to the slowly lowering RHIBs.

As the two teams reached the shore, they split up. The CO and his five men spread to the west, heading towards where the silent Priarial stood. Now nothing more than a shell of a ship, it offered them no threat.

As they got closer to it he noticed many of his men's eyes trained on it and gave them a small smile. If they were thinking what he was, it was a good sign. All were worried about Haynes and the others. The CO liked this, it showed loyalty and he liked that in his crew. In fact he didn't think he could work with someone who was only around for his own success. He looked at his men again and then woke them from their stupor.

"Any ideas what way they would go?" He asked.

Murray frowned. "They wouldn't stick to the beach, not if they know their training. You're too exposed on the beach. They'd go as far inland as they could and work their way in."

Mike nodded. He agreed. He looked at Swain. "You know this land better than anyone Swain. Do you have any ideas?"

Swain shrugged. "I have no idea. Sorry." He gave them a small smile.

Mike nodded. "That's fine." He glanced around him. "Those French, and whatever else is out here, could be anywhere so it's best if we don't split up. I say we just go inland a bit, start towards the Priarial and hope for the best." The others agreed. So, trudging inland, they walked for half an hour before turning west. After informing Buffer of their plans, the CO led his men towards the beach where the Priarial sat. But their plans were waylaid as the Colonel spotted something. At first they raised their guns, assuming the worst, but then an unarmed figure stumbled from the bushes, falling almost at their feet.

"Oh my god, it's Sims." Murray called, running to the Lance Corporal's side. The others joined him, lifting the young soldier to his feet. He grinned at them for a second but then his head slumped.

"Colonel, Herbie, Swain; go check for anyone else." The CO ordered.

He and Murray then lay down Sims and checked him over as ET, who had joined the search party, surveyed the bush for any more movement. There was none. By the time Murray had finished the others had returned with no one else. So, preparing them to return to the RHIB, he grabbed his radio to inform Buffer of their find.

* * *

"Any sign Buffer?" The CO's voice came through the radio.

Buffer frowned. "I've got nothing sir. What about you?"

"Affirmative Buffer. We've found Lance Corporal Sims. He's not in a great state. We're taking him back to the Hammersley. Should we tell Rhino to prepare for you?"

"Negative sir. We're going to keep going."

"Alright Buffer. Good luck." The CO replied before the radio went silent again.

Buffer glanced at the others with him. Each of them were scouring the bush for any signs of life. And there were signs of life. Every so often, as they trudged deeper and deeper, something would move without explanation. At first they said birds. Then small animals. But now, as a bush moved to their left, they weren't so sure. This move had been a big one.

"Tell me you saw that." Caesar pointed out to Buffer.

Buffer nodded in silence. He glanced back to see Pierce had risen his hands from his gun to call out, but Dutchy had stopped him. Now the four youngest members stood together, stopped and glancing around them. Spooked by the area, and their behaviour, Buffer raised his gun at the bush. It didn't move.

"Alright, if you don't mind me making an executive decision here Buffer, I say we go back." Caesar put forward.

Buffer nodded silently. "I agree." He turned back to the others. "Alright crew, prepare to depart." He watched them lift their guns again, wiping the looks off their faces, and nod back at Buffer.

They turned and started back to the beach, but as they walked the movement in the bushes became more and more obvious. Soon they couldn't deny it and came to a stop, pointing their guns at the bushes.

"Alright, whose there?" Buffer called. There was no reply.


	26. Chapter 25: The Ultimate Betrayal

Chapter Twenty-Five;  
The Ultimate Betrayal

"Whose there?" Buffer asked again.

The next minute there was a scream and he glanced back at Scruffy. She was on the ground, disarmed. Pierce, who had been standing next to her, was gone. He turned as Caesar made a noise and gunfire rang out. The gunfire was from Dutchy's gun, the young man standing solid in the mess. Archie had disappeared as well. Caesar was on the ground, hit by something. He brushed off his knees and pushed himself up, just as something moved from behind him. Gunfire sounded again, this time from Scruffy who was still on the ground firing wildly up at where Dutchy had once stood. The young man was gone. Buffer frowned. He'd only been there a second earlier. Then Buffer glanced back at where Caesar had just been. He was gone too.

Acting instinctively he turned to the last member of his group and, offering her a hand, pulled the Seaman to her feet.

"What happened?" He asked her.

Scruffy shook her head, a trickle of blood from a small scrape on her forehead running down her face. She wiped it with the back of her hand. "There was three of them, they grabbed Dutchy and dragged him away. They came and were gone in about a second. I didn't see the others."

Buffer nodded and turned away from her, glancing around, only to hear a small cry and turn back to find Scruffy again on the ground, unconscious. He frowned and looked around quickly. They'd knocked her out in less than a second and now he could see no one.

He lifted his gun. "Who is it? What have you done with my men?" He stood over Scruffy, ensuring none of them grabbed her from under him. "Show yourselves."

And show themselves they did. Eight or nine figures, clad in camouflage gear, stepped out from the trees. They didn't raise their guns. They didn't move. They just smiled at him in their own weird way. And Buffer was suddenly very worried.

He should have been. Three more figures emerged from behind him, stepping over Scruffy as if she were never there. They made straight for Buffer but he never heard them. And then, without even realising he was in danger, his world went black.

* * *

When Scruffy awoke the area was empty, save for a lone figure standing over her. At first she thought it was Buffer and nearly smiled, but then she noticed they were thinner than Buffer. Shorter too. And she realised she didn't know them. But her eyes swimming, she was unable to make them out clearly. In the bright morning light they were little more than a dark silhouette. A dark enemy.

Her finger throbbed and her head hurt. Her face burned and she reached up to feel a scratch. It wasn't bleeding too badly, just enough to hurt. The dark figure seemed to enjoy this. He laughed.

Finally she found her voice. "Who are you? Where are the others?"

"They're with me." He replied and Scruffy gasped, realizing who the enemy were. "But we don't hurt girls. It's not our way. So, go on, run back to the Hammersley." He lifted Scruffy by her life jacket and pulled her to her feet. He then breathed into her face. "Run girlie."

And run she did. His laugh followed her back to the beach.

* * *

Rhino looked up from the RHIB as a figure burst from the trees. Recognising her he drove the RHIB to the shore. She jumped in quickly then screamed for Rhino to leave the shoreline. He turned the RHIB around and drove back. Scruffy, meanwhile, had her eyes up and trained on the island. There was no movement.

"Scruff? Where's the others?" Rhino called out above the wind and waves. He brought the RHIB to a stop and looked at Scruffy. Now a decent distance from the island, almost midway between the island and the Hammersley, she had a chance to breathe. And breathe she did. In racking coughs that made Rhino move out of his seat and to her, near the front of the RHIB. She had her head down, her hair falling over her face, and he tried to see her face between the clumps of wet, bloodied hair. Her face was scratched, bruised, but fine. One of her fingers was bent at a strange angle. It looked broken. But her emotions contorted her face.

"Scruffy?" He asked again.

Scruffy looked up. "They're not coming. We need to go back to the ship, now!"

Rhino did as was told. He was too scared of the pain in her face to contradict her. The X met them on the deck as the RHIB was risen then lowered back into place. She grabbed Scruffy and led her straight up to the bridge. Up there almost everyone was waiting. The Nav, ET, RO, Charge and Swain all looked at her as she reached the top of the stairs.

"Where's the CO?" Scruffy asked them.

Nav was the first to speak. "He's with Lance Corporal Sims. What happened?"

Scruffy's lip shook. "They came out of nowhere. Were so ferocious. I was with Pierce. One minute he was next to me, the next he was gone. Then something hit me, in the cheek, and I blacked out for a second. When I awoke, they were gone."

The X frowned at her. "Scruffy, who do they have?"

The girl's voice shook. "Dutchy, Pierce, Caesar, Archie and Buffer." In other words, everyone in the search part except her. She bit her lip. "Ma'am there was something else. They spoke to me. And they were…"

She was cut off as a voice came across the radio. "Afternoon Hammersley crew. What a surprise you're still here. Should've run off when you were told to."

Scruffy pointed to the radio. "That's them, they're the ones that took the others. Ma'am, they're Australians!"

And as the X listened she knew the Seaman was right. The accent was definitely Australian. She looked at Charge. "You better get the CO."

**A/N: **Okay, that's the end of that part. Coming up next: Part Three; The Third Adversary – The Australians. Stay tuned, coming soon! ;) We're at the half-way mark. Hope you're enjoying it. Drop me some feedback, no matter how trivial. I love the support. All the research for this is eating into my downtime and it makes it very worth it when I hear someone likes it, so please if you're reading it say something! Anything. Doesn't even have to be constructive. :)


	27. Chapter 26: Betrayed

Chapter Twenty-Six;  
Betrayed

'… _it's not unknown for a bounty hunter to act in concert with a national government that wants to distance itself from certain acts…'_

UN White Paper; Non-Government Forces in UN Peace-Keeping Zones

The CO stood on the bridge, listening to the replay of the radio message. RO had been smart enough to start recording every message that came through the radio these days. The X commended him for his intuitive thinking while the CO glared at the message. There hadn't been any more from the Australians since that one. After replaying it for a third time the CO flicked it off.

"Get me Marshall."

He had the phone to his ear a moment later, listening to Marshall ranting. He was silent, staring at the ground, as he listened. Then, when Marshall ran out of breath, he pounced. "You done?"

Marshall was enraged. "Don't talk to me like that Lieutenant Commander Flynn. I've taken a lot from you in my time but this is too far. I understand you wanted to help the Kanimbla and they've put in a good word on your behalf, but this war is over for you and you can come home immediately for trial."

"What, so the Australian Government can fit me up for looking after my men and those loyal to me? We've lost three allies to your ineptitude sir, no more."

Marshall was stunned. "Fit you up? What are you talking about Flynn? Canberra are just looking out for your men's well-being and that's why they've called the trial."

The CO scoffed. "If you believe that sir you've made a big mistake because, guess what, there's people out there with five of our men and do you know what else? Australian accents." He pressed play on the recording and the man's voice flowed across the phone. As Mike stopped it he continued. "You picked the wrong side Marshall and now you have to choose. You're either with us or with them."

Marshall stumbled on the first few words out of his mouth before finally saying something. "I'll have to look into this."

"Look into whatever you want Marshall, just don't believe whatever anyone tells you."

"You clearly have a good idea who these men are and where they came from."

The CO nearly laughed with disbelief. "And you don't? They came on the Stuart, sir." He said, stressing the 'sir' in the most insulting way he could muster above the anger. He'd suddenly become disillusioned by the government he served and while he had expected Canberra to do anything to get his men home, he hadn't expected they'd kidnap them. "It isn't a coincidence that the day after they turn up my men are kidnapped by Australians."

"No current serving sailor would kidnap their own men."

The CO glanced at Scruffy, who was standing there shaking slightly under the watchful eyes of Nav and the X, then replied. "We suspect they weren't current Australian sailors."

Marshall was stunned again then finally replied. "I'll find you some help to get your men back, and then I'll look into this accusation Flynn. Until then, don't do anything." He hung up.

Mike growled at the radio, incredibly irritated at Marshall. He then glanced at the women behind him. "Scruffy, go get some food and write up an incident report. X, do you want to take her?" The X nodded and the pair went downstairs. Nav went back to her position silently, looking crestfallen. ET went to the EOD, the device having sat unmanned for far too long now. RO just pre-occupied himself shuffling papers. The bridge was deathly silent. It was as if everyone had just realised they had finally met their ultimate test.

* * *

_Sunday 1500 hours_

Nav looked up from the radar. "Sir, we have a new contact." The screen still hadn't registered the contact. But it was huge. The CO and some others hurried over. But, just as they reached the screen, the ship was identified. Two words and a small number flashed across the screen next to the contact.

"HMAS Kanimbla, 51." Mike chuckled. "I knew he'd see sense." He grabbed the radio and tuned back into the normal frequency, ignoring the white noise that he now knew to be a mix of the island and the Stuart's jamming signals.

"HMAS Kanimbla, 51. This is the HMAS Hammersley, 82."

Price's voice came clear over the airwaves. "Miss us Hammersley?"

Mike smiled. "ETA at our location Steven?"

"24 minutes Mike. We'll be seeing you then?"

Mike nodded. "You will Steven, you will." He put down the radio and glanced back at the X. "We're still in this."

* * *

Half-an-hour later the CO stood on the deck of the Kanimbla, talking to Price about the new developments. But Price seemed to know most of what Mike was telling him. When Mike asked how he knew he gave a simple answer that actually shocked Mike.

"I got a call from your Commander, Steve Marshall, telling me to get the hell back to Libertile or expect trouble. I said yes sir and turned the ship around." He grinned, somewhat proud of his quick response. But Mike was more taken by Marshall. Sure Marshall had said he'd do his best, but in truth that usually meant doing nothing. Sending the Kanimbla, a trusted ally, was the best he could've done. Though Mike silently wished he'd sent Edmunds and the Parramatta back instead. They had more firepower. As if reading his mind Price gave more information. "We docked at Cairns on the way back. Your Commander fitted us out with some necessary equipment." He pointed to the ship's missile launcher. Previously it had sat empty, but now Mike could see it was chambered.

He gaped then looked at Price. "What've you got?"

"Only what your Commander could spare. 6 Modified Sea Sparrows. I've grown quite fond of them. I've given them names." He joked.

Mike rolled his eyes. Only Price would joke about naming 6 ship-killing machines. But he couldn't help but feel incredibly glad they had actually come armed this time. He still couldn't work out why they hadn't before but decided not to ask that just yet. That could wait for another day. Right now they had an issue. And it just dawned on Mike.

"We can't fire on the Stuart. She's an Australian warship. They're useless."

Price nodded. "Yeah, that occurred to me too, but Marshall insisted we take them. Didn't ask why."

"You need to ask more questions." Mike pointed out.

Price laughed. "And you need to stop following boats of crates to little war-torn islands and manage to find yourself in international conflicts." He grinned. "But it's so easy to point out flaws. Let's play the 'what I like about you' game. You say something nice about me then I say something nice about you."

Mike shook his head. "See, this is why you're impossible to work with." He turned away from him. "I'll get back to you in the morning."

Price grinned and put on a girl's voice. "Call me Mike, call me." He taunted.

Mike took the high road and just walked away.

* * *

Buffer awoke in darkness, his hands bound behind his back.

His first thought was for his men, and when he glanced around him and could see no one, he was instantly worried about their safety. And then a sound hit his ears. A cough, a familiar cough.

He spoke into the darkness, the word 'fishing' coming to mind. But it was a catch. "Caesar?"

Caesar's still-animated voice replied from close but not close enough. "See, now my hopes rested with you getting away Buff. You let me down again." He joked.

"Who else is here?" Buffer asked, still not entirely sure where 'here' actually was. It was dark, too dark for him to even know what time of day it was, and he couldn't see any stars so he guessed they weren't outside.

"Roll call maybe?" Caesar suggested. Buff could hear him chuckle. "I heard Dutchy maybe twenty minutes ago, yelling at someone. I think they knocked him out. I haven't heard from Archie, Pierce or Scruffy."

"I was with Scruffy when they knocked me out. They must have brought us together. So, she should be nearby."

"She's not here. I heard them talking about her. They let her go." A voice spoke up. To their relief it was Pierce and he was close-by as well. Buffer turned slightly, the voice coming from behind him to his left.

"Pierce?" He almost smiled. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah Buff, I'm fine thanks." He cleared his throat. "Archie is with me, but he's still out cold. Bloody girl." He teased.

"What happened to Scruffy?" Buffer asked him, Pierce evidently having been awake the longest.

"They were talking. They let her go. Said they don't tie up girls cos girls don't belong in the Defence Force." There was spite in his voice, Pierce known as one of those guys that the girls called a SNAG because he often championed women's rights. Blokes just called him clever. "They're old school, and they smell of rum."

"Pirates." Caesar joked, but Buffer wondered if he was closer to the truth than he realised. But before anyone could say anything, something above them moved and afternoon light floated into their holding place. It was a mine, Buffer quickly realized, it's entry covered to shut out the light. He glanced around him and spotted an unconscious Archie almost laying on Pierce who had a large cut across his cheek. Caesar was bound nearby and Dutchy was laying further away unconscious as well. They looked a sad an sorry bunch, weaponless, cut and dirty. In comparison, the men standing over them looked blood-thirsty. And Pierce had been right. They were older men, many looking about 45 or older. But Buffer's eyes were drawn to something else. It was their weapons that gave away that they weren't another French force. Rather than the usual French M4 Carbine or Glock 17s, these men came armed with older models. Models that Buffer had seen before only previously, before they had been given the newer model F88 AuSteyrs. Steyr Aug STG-77s from Austria, only once employed by the ADF before they tossed it out for their own Australian duplicates. These duplicates were amongst the men too, the L1A1 SLRs. There were also the really old M-16s. They were from the 1980s! But all of them shared one thing in common. They were ex-ADF military weapons. And there was only one group of men that used old military weapons. Old military men. These guns for hire were ex-ADF.


	28. Chapter 27: Sixty

Chapter Twenty-Seven:  
Sixty

_Monday morning_

"Four, three, two, one…" The CO looked up from his watch, which had now hit 0800 as the radio crackled then a voice came through. "Good morning Hammersley. Oh, and you Stuartians too because I know you're listening. Tartan warriors. I'm changing that to tartan wankers." He laughed alone at his joke. "A fine Monday morning in Libertile. The start of the working week. It's good to be back to it. I missed you all."

The CO picked the radio up and broke in over Price's one-man spiel that looked likely to continue for an hour if he wasn't stopped. "I'll be with you in 20 minutes Price."

Price chuckled. "No, I'll come to you. I need the air. Plus I'd kill for a tour of these fancy new Armidales. Anyway, I have some information all your men will like to hear so, invite everyone, we'll have a party on the Quarterdeck." He chuckled then the line went dead. The CO frowned then headed to the deck to meet him.

Naturally the minute Price stepped aboard he got a look on his face like he'd just stepped in something a dog had left behind, but it changed when he noticed Mike watching him and returned a bizarre and totally false smile. "Bigger than the Fremantles eh Flynny?" He grinned as Mike tried to ignore the memories.

"What have you got?"

Price grinned and followed Mike back to the bridge. "Play nice Michael or I won't share." He pulled a few folded-up pieces of paper out of his pocket. "Intel on the Stuart. Turns out she made an unscheduled pit stop in Cairns before she joined us. Picked up I believe. As our resident Cairns man I thought you might like this. A little bit of home."

Mike frowned at the paper then up at Price. "So, you're telling me that this isn't Canberra's doing?"

Price nodded. "Canberra is many things Mike, but they don't destroy their own men." He looked back at the Kanimbla as they came to a stop before heading inside. "Canberra's furious. They called last night. They want us and you out. Says they'll deal with the Stuart on their own." Mike blew a 'pfft' through his teeth and Price grinned. "Good answer." He agreed. They headed inside, Price's attention on the ship itself as they walked and talked. "Look, I'm not sure who these men are but if your suspicions that they aren't current ADF is correct then we're only talking about one group." He paused. "Hunters."

Mike gaped. "What?" He frowned. "Bounty hunters? This isn't America Steven." Then he stopped. "Wait, what bounty?"

Steven looked back at him. "Sorry, what?"

Mike frowned standoffishly. "Bounty. Bounty hunters need a bounty. What's the price on our heads?"

Price scoffed. "Price on your heads? Don't be so dramatic Mike." But he soon gave in under Mike's glare. "Bounty hunters are ex-ADF from all areas. In this case Navy. They have Navy brats, Seaman and Able Seaman. All dumb kids with little education." He frowned. "Canberra have offered immediate rankings and a pay increase for anyone with information that will make you come back to shore for trial. They haven't had any offers as, I imagine thanks to Rembrandt Murphy's stories, everyone is on your side. Except Lyons. God, the man is mad. He'd sell his own mother for a Commander job. He's evidently decided that hunters will increase his chances of getting you. Clearly hasn't thought it through but then, he is mad so I don't even want to try and work him out." Price chuckled. "Just proof that the DFR seriously need to hire some new psychology staff. Either that or lie detectors."

"I'm glad you're enjoying this Price." Mike almost growled back at him.

Price grinned. "You got to smile Mike. My mother used to say this. You got to smile, or else you'll cry." Then, having reached the stairs to the bridge, he pulled himself up ahead of him and onto the Hammersley bridge where he was met by many eyes, most having only just seen this Price guy for the first time. He grinned at them. "So, whose ready to hunt some Australians?"

* * *

"He freaks me out, honest to God. Did you see those eyes? Beady and weird." Nav said, smothering a smile as she joined ET and a few others as they grabbed their guns.

ET just smiled. "He's a bit eccentric yeah, but he's got our back doesn't he? I mean, you gotta respect that."

"He's alright. Just a bit, excited by the whole thing." Spider piped up. The young seaman had taken to the Kanimbla CO the minute he'd graced the bridge earlier. Now he seemed to be sticking up for Price, a lone voice amongst the masses.

"That's the problem. He's excited." Nav said, shoving her gun into her holster. "It's bizarre. We're going out there with 60 Frenchmen on the loose and our men captured by some bounty hunters and he's hamming it up."

Swain finally spoke. "I don't think he's exactly 'hamming it up'. He just likes justice."

Nav shrugged. "Yeah well I have no intention of ever working for anyone like that. He's unstable."

ET looked at her. "Because he knows what he likes and where he's going with his life?" He asked seriously. Nav frowned at him briefly then gave up under his look and turned away. Swain and Spider shared a furtive glance. Then their time was cut short as the CO joined them, taking the gun offered to him by Swain.

"Alright crew. We ready?" He cast his eyes over them. "What's left of the boarding party…" He trailed off with a sad smile.

"Bomber's raring to go, if you'll let her." Spider spoke up.

Swain frowned at him. "Don't encourage her Spider. She's been hounding me for the last 2 hours." He shook his head at the CO. "And I don't recommend Scruffy yet either. She's still recovering. Give her a little longer."

The CO nodded. "Well, we have the Kanimbla men. Price is giving us twenty men so…" He trailed again then gathered himself. "Don't expect to find our men today. That would be too lucky. It's all about clues. We need to know something about these men. What they're doing here. If they're really bounty hunters. Information gathering okay?" The others nodded. The CO smiled. "Alright, let's go."

_

* * *

_

0946

"Price?" Mike frowned as Price and 19 others strode out of the bush as their RHIB reached the beach.

Steven grinned at him. "Don't look so shocked Mike. I get bored sitting up in that bridge listening to Radar's bad jokes."

Mike glanced back at his four men, his group looking tiny next to the Kanimbla men. "Shall we split up?" Mike suggested, keen to have at least one member of his team with the men who found Buffer and the others, god bless them it actually happened.

Price smiled, realising what Mike was thinking. "Sure Mike, if you don't trust me." He waved a hand and his men split into three groups, almost even. He then looked back at Mike. "Which group do you want Mike?"

Mike glanced back at his men. "Spider, Swain, you go with Price. Nav, ET, you take the second group. I'll go with the third group." The others nodded and joined their groups. Then, wasting no time, they split up. Spider instantly took his chance to talk to Price, something an egotistical Price didn't mind at all. Nav shot Price one last look before following her group (all men) into the shrub. Mike too gave them all one look, gave the Hammersley one last look, then headed east with his men.

* * *

It was Nav that radioed back with information first. "Sir, we've got something. It's a Hammersley cap."

Mike picked up his radio. "How far from the point Scruffy says they were picked up?"

"Not far. About 25 metres due west."

Mike frowned. "Okay, head west and meet up with Price's group. We'll follow you."

He and the Kanimbla men headed west before they were stopped this time by Price's voice. "Scrap that Mike. Head southwest. You better see this."

Mike's group reached the site last to find the others standing around a huge pit. It was gigantic, about the size of the Hammersley's quarterdeck. And although he couldn't see what it was full of from afar, as he got closer he realised why Nav had averted her eyes. Corpses. At least 50. Then he realised it was likely sixty. The sixty Frenchman the Jean Bart had managed to get rid of before the Parramatta blew it out of existence.

Mike joined Price, who was with his team's medic. The young man was assessing one of the Frenchman's injuries and Mike realised how familiar they were. All clothes torn off, eyes gouged out, cuts across their skin. They were marked the same way as Avenger. Whoever had killed these men had also killed Avenger.

"But…" Mike said aloud.

Price looked up. "What?"

"The same way as Avenger. But the Stuart wasn't here when we found Avenger. This can't have been done by the Australians."

Price shook his head. "Has to have been." His expressions devoid of emotion. For a brief second Mike thought he was hiding something, then it was gone and Price cracked a joke. "Only ex-ADF would be this messed up!"

Mike didn't buy it, but whatever had happened here it wasn't helping solve the problem of his missing men. "We have to keep moving. Whatever happened here is of no relevance to us." He said bravely, really scared of whatever had done this and wishing to god they could just find their men and go back to hiding on the Hammersley until Haynes and his men showed up.

Price shook his head. "Sorry Mike but this is news for us. We'll have to get these men assessed for injuries and write up reports for Canberra." He chuckled. "More bloody paperwork." He looked up at the CO. "Your men too. It was Spider here that found this." He clapped the young seaman, who Mike hadn't noticed before was standing next to Price, on the shoulder. "I'll need reports ASAP. So, sorry Mike, but it's back to the boats for now. Get this done quickly and I promise to give you some men after lunch."

"After lunch? Geez Price. These men are dead but my men aren't and they're running out of time. If you're right then clearly these Australians are a sick bunch. What could they do to my men?"

Price shrugged. "Sorry Mike." He motioned for two of his men to grab a body to take back to the Kanimbla for assessing. Grossed out by how cold Price was, Mike just ushered up his men and headed back to their RHIB. More time wasted that they could spend finding his men. He suddenly wished the patrol boat fleet had more crew.

**A/N: **A little bit of Nav/ET for you SA. And, Nav doesn't like Price. Is she a good judge of character or just overreacting? Wait and see…


	29. Chapter 28: All Puppies and Kind Deeds

Chapter Twenty-Eight:  
All Puppies and Kind Deeds

_1059_"Bomber." Came a slightly whiny voice from the bottom bunk. Rolling over Bomber looked down and remembered Scruffy was with her.

"Oh gee, sorry Scruff." Switching off her music, which she had left blaring from her computer at the end of her bunk, Bomber turned and jumped down from the top bunk, landing with a thud near Scruffy's outstretched arm. She then gave her cabin mate a small grin and left Scruffy to snooze.

On her way out she passed ET and Nav, who had just come back in from the shore search, and gave them a smile. Ignoring each other, they both smiled at her. But, rather disappointingly, neither stopped to talk. So, continuing on, Bomber headed for the bridge. But, as usual, there was nothing for her to do. She even suggested to RO that she help him with filing, but he insisted he had a system that she would mess up. When she looked hurt he smiled.

"Sorry Bomber." Then he went back to work.

"Fine, why don't I just go fall off the stern then?" She said dramatically to the near-empty bridge. Charge laughed but everyone else ignored her. Heaving a dramatic sigh she left.

As she walked down the halls she thought of what she could do. She'd already done everyone's washing yesterday, including quite a bit of she and Scruffy and Nav's ironing. Before that she had spent two hours restocking supplies in the mess rooms and reorganizing the galley cupboards just to make Princess' life a misery. The ship's Combat Systems Operator had taken over cooking duties, something that had annoyed Bomber since SHE was the cook and was perfectly capable of cooking. Sure she still had weak moments every now and then, but she could still cook. She cursed Swain. So, now left to wander aimlessly with nothing to do, she was bored out of her mind.

The she stopped, spotting someone sitting alone. She grinned and headed inside. Taking a seat at the mess bench across from Spider and, putting her head against the palms of her hands, she stared at him. After a minute he put his pen down but didn't look up. "You're creeping me out."

Bomber laughed. "Awesome." He looked up at her with a smile. "What's this?"

"An incident report, about the French." He frowned at her. "You're bored aren't you?"

Bomber nodded. "Yeah I am. The CO won't give me any jobs until Swain says I'm alright to do them and there's nothing to see but that darned island. I can't even cook yet because goddam Princess has taken over my galley!"

Spider chuckled. "Life is so hard for you."

Bomber poked her tongue out at him childishly. "I can't read anything either because Scruffy won't lend me her books."

Spider actually laughed. "Let me get this straight, she comes over from the Kanimbla in a warzone and she has to bring you books?"

"What? I've read all mine!" Bomber protested. She frowned as he just laughed harder. "You suck."

Spider shrugged. "I'd offer you one of my books but, you know…" He grinned cheekily.

Bomber held up her hands. "They aren't books if you don't read them."

Spider frowned. "I read!"

Bomber pulled a face. "Yeah, you buy them for the articles." She pushed back her chair. "You bore me. I'm going to go sulk with Charge about how we never get anything to do."

"You're just upset because we haven't found a dog yet."

Bomber turned back to him. "What?" She laughed.

Spider looked back at her. "You and dogs. It's a bond stronger than love." Bomber rolled her eyes. "It's true though isn't it? If we'd found a dog you'd be as happy as a pig in mud."

"You make any comparison between me and a pig in mud again Spider and I'll…"

Spider spoke over her. "I'll get you a puppy when we get back to shore."

Bomber smiled. "That's sweet Spider, but who will look after it?"

Spider shrugged. "Your flatmate?"

"Janet? She can barely look after herself." She laughed. "Thanks but no thanks Spider."

"Well, then my mum. She likes dogs as much as you do."

Bomber gave him a blank look. "Your mum is going to look after my dog, that you gave me?" Spider nodded and she laughed. "You're a special boy Billy Webb." She turned away, shaking her head.

"There's always time to change your mind." He said, going back to his report.

Bomber smiled and then left him alone to finish his work.

* * *

"Hello again."

Bomber nearly jumped a foot in the air then turned quickly to find herself looking down at the little figure of Inditta. She had completely forgotten he was still there. She gave him a smile. "Oh, hi Inditta." She knew he must be feeling the loss of Buffer more than anyone and decided to push aside the fact he creeped her out and befriend him. "Hey, I was heading to the galley to get something. Are you hungry?"

"Mr. Buffer said you were sick and I shouldn't bother you anymore."

"You don't bother me Inditta…" A horrible lie. "Anyway, I'm not too sick to make cheese sandwiches. Look, I'm making one for myself and Spider anyway, so it's no trouble, really!"

Inditta shrugged. "Okay, I guess so." He gave a small smile. "I like cheese, I haven't had it in ages." He said more to himself than Bomber.

Bomber smothered a grin and headed to the galley, the small islander boy in tow. When they reached the galley Inditta refused to step inside, saying he knew it was 'Miss Rebecca's' domain and wouldn't trespass. Bomber didn't know whether she should be pleased or insulted so just ignored the comment and started making sandwiches. Inditta, however, standing in the doorway, refused to stop talking.

"I'm not too worried however, no matter what Mister ET says, because I know he's coming back."

Bomber turned, realising she'd missed the start of the sentence and gave him a smile. "What did ET say?"

"Mister ET said he knew I was worried about Mister Buffer but that I shouldn't be because he's tough. But I'm not worried. I know he's coming back."

"You know?" Bomber asked, putting down her knife to focus all her attention on the boy.

Inditta chuckled. "Well, I don't know, I'm not psychic. But I have feelings about things and they're usually right. I'm a good guesser. And I know people when I see them. I knew Mister Buffer was tough when I met him. Mister ET too, in a different way."

Bomber put the cheese sandwich in front of her together then popped it on a plate, turning to him. "Am I tough Inditta?" She asked curiously.

"Not like them Miss Rebecca." He smiled as Bomber gaped a little at his forwardness. "But you are loyal and kind. Kindness is good Miss Rebecca."

"Thank you Inditta." She handed him the cheese sandwich then turned back to finish hers, but Inditta wasn't done yet.

"Miss Rebecca. Be wary with your kindness. I get the feeling someone will soon betray your good deeds." Bomber turned to find him watching her intently, sadly, from the doorway still. "Don't let them change you. You are a good person."

Bomber frowned as he turned away then called after him. "Hey Inditta." He looked back silently. "Have you read Harry Potter? There's a character in there you might like." He gave a smile. "I'll find my copy and bring it to you this afternoon, okay?"

He nodded brightly. "Thank you Miss Rebecca, I am very bored."

Bomber chuckled. "Me too." She watched him leave with a weak smile. "Weird kid." She finished the sandwiches then, plating them up, decided to go terrorise Spider again.

**A/N: **Ten points to the first person who can guess who the Harry Potter character that Inditta reminds Bomber of is. I only put it in because I was reading back over Inditta's pieces and went 'OMG, he sounds so much like (name here)'. I laughed for 10 minutes then wrote Bomber's line.


	30. Chapter 29: Relations

Chapter Twenty-Nine:  
Relations

Mike wasn't happy with how the whole thing with the French mass grave had turned out. Very unhappy. So unhappy he had shut himself in his cabin for the last 20 minutes, grumbling at the computer but not writing anything in any way resembling a report about the incident.

Although he'd seen nothing and only wandered in at the end of the find, as the CO of the Seaman that found the men, he was required to write up his own account of where he'd been when Webb had found the grave. It didn't make riveting reading and he'd had to go back and edit it a few times because he'd been finding it hard to leave out his strong dislike for Price deserting his men in the heat of the search. How Price could take paperwork over a search eluded him. It just proven that Price was as confusing than ever.

And then he remembered… the look on Price's face when Mike had mentioned the French being killed the same way as Avenger. That look on his face as if he knew something that he wasn't eager to share. What was it and what did it have to do with the French?

His thoughts were interrupted by the appearance of the X at his door. "Price wants your report if you're done. Oh, and lunch is ready." She gave him a small smile.

Mike sighed and waved her in. She shut the door behind her. "Price is hiding something."

The X frowned and took a seat. "What this time?"

"I don't know. Something about the French."

"Like what?" She paused. "Do you think he and his men are behind this?"

Mike shrugged. "I considered that. Or someone else."

"The Stuart?" Kate asked.

"Maybe." He frowned quickly then looked up. "Anyway. Whatever they're up to, as long as they leave my men alone it's not our problem."

The X gave him a look. "You really don't care?"

Mike smiled. "You know I do. But I care more about getting our men back, so this will have to take a back seat." He turned back to the computer and brought up the report. "Give me a bit longer to finish this." He frowned at the report. "Price can wait a little longer."

* * *

"They're taking well to being informed to everything." The X said completely out of the blue ten minutes later, the CO having forgotten she was still in the room as he continued the report.

He glanced up at her. "What's this?"

"The crew. They've taken well to being informed of everything. It was a good idea, this 'no ranks' thing."

The CO smiled. "You being doing some market research for me Kate?"

Kate laughed. "I heard them talking in the senior sailor's mess. Funny how that goes. Big things happen and they start discussing the small things like how they're now being told everything."

The CO nodded. "It's a natural reaction I'm afraid." He chuckled. "I think someone missed their true calling as a marketing consultant."

Kate shook her head as she sat down nearby. "No, I don't think so." She glanced at the report. "Anyway, just thought that might lift your spirits; that internal relations are good."

Mike frowned. "Speaking of relations: Nav and ET? What have you noticed with those two?"

Kate nodded. "Yeah. They're being rather cold to each other haven't they?"

"Not to one another. It's one-way, Nav to ET." He glanced at her. "I still have it on record that those two are officially dating, but you're closer to her – have they broken up?"

Kate shrugged. "I don't know. She doesn't talk about him." She glanced at the door almost as if Nav were about to walk in. "But I don't think they have. He's rather normal to her, it's just her."

"Well if it gets any worse we may have problems. We have an external conflict here, we don't need another one. Would you mind talking to Nav?"

Kate nodded again. "Sure thing." She frowned. "On the opposite side of the coin, should I talk to Bomber too?"

Mike gave a slight smile. "I'm glad you brought that one up. Would you? I understand they've been through a lot but I don't think we need another Nav and ET from last year with Bomber and Spider."

Kate smiled back. "Sure." She pushed herself up. "Look, I'll tell RO you'll get it to Price yourself okay?" She said, glancing at the computer screen. Mike was nowhere near finished.

Mike nodded. "Good idea." Then, silently, Kate left. Mike frowned at her retreating figure then, shutting the door behind her, turned back to the report.

* * *

Just as Mike sent through the report there came a knock at his door. It was Nav.

"Sir, there's a call from the Kanimbla." She said with a smile. "Lieutenant Commander Price says he's had a call about the French."

Mike nodded. "Okay, let's see what he has to say."

Price was as cocky as ever before. "Take long enough with that report Mike? My CIS received it only 30 seconds ago." He taunted.

Mike ignored him. "I'm afraid I was finding it a lot harder than Seaman Webb to finish my report due to the fact that I was rather enraged by the way you handled my missing men."

"Good kid." Price muttered with a chuckle.

Mike and the others on the bridge frowned at the radio. "What was that Price?"

"You mentioned your Seaman, Spider. I like the kid. He's very welcome in my crew."

Mike smiled at Kate, who had just joined them on the bridge. "Actually, I could well take you up on that, if there is no change on board here."

"You're actually going to give me Seaman Webb?" Price laughed. "What do you want in exchange? A Blackhawk?"

Spider, who was standing nearby, blushed at how he was being spoken about. Obviously he didn't mind being referred to as being as valuable as a Blackhawk.

"No, you'll be doing a few people a favour." He cast a look at Spider who was now grinning, being watched by another figure on the bridge. Bomber was smiling at how much he was enjoying being spoken about. To Mike it looked like he wouldn't have to go through the uncomfortable situation he almost faced with Nav and ET. "You want to join the Kanimbla Spider?" Mike asked him.

The Seaman grinned. "Absolutely sir." Buffer clapped him on the shoulder and he smiled at his mentor.

Mike smiled then looked back at the radio. "But now we're done inflating my Seaman's ego Steven, you have a few things to share."

**A/N: **Honourable mention to SA who gave me the suggestion to move Spider to the Kanimbla. Bomber thanks you. Lol.


	31. Chapter 30: Take Your Own Advice

Chapter Thirty:  
Take Your Own Advice

_Monday afternoon, 1302_

"Canberra is saying that, due to the nature of their deaths, we can rule out the Australians. There is no chance the Australians, no matter how messed-up, would do these things to a fellow Australian."

Mike snorted. "And obviously Canberra knows these men so well."

Price seemed to agree. "Which is why I've upped the scale here. You and your men have 25 minutes to prepare your men to meet my 30 men on the beach. We search until 1800 or until we find someone. Deal Mike?"

Mike nodded. "Sounds good Price."

20 minutes later the six individuals of the Hammersley search party stood on the beach looking up at the Kanimbla as she lowered her very full RHIBs into the water and sped them towards the beach. Nav, who was standing next to the CO, glanced at him but said nothing. Then, after the CO met her eyes with a small smile, stared back to the RHIBs. But the tranquillity of the situation was broken by the sound of gunfire and the Hammersley crew looked up to see men running onto the beach nearby, their guns pointed at the RHIBs. They hadn't seen the Hammersley six yet, but it wouldn't take long. So, turning quietly, they dashed back into the undergrowth.

But things weren't that easy when they soon realised they too were being hunted. Still together they strode deeper into the undergrowth before they were met with a rain of bullets. They split instinctively, diving for cover. ET managed to grab Nav and drag her back into a bush. Swain and the CO dove the same way behind a tree and Mike lost sight of Spider and Scruffy who both dived away back towards a bushy growth near the beach. Grabbing his radio he tried to call them, but the cause was soon found to be lost when his radio provided him with nothing but white noise. Something had happened to render their radio equipment useless, just like it had been when they'd first arrived. So, simply hoping his men would be okay, Mike helped Swain to his feet and they set off once again.

* * *

Spider helped Scruffy, who was glaring at the bushes around her with her gun held aloft, further back into the bushy undergrowth before they sat down against a tree.

"Bloody Stuart. Firing into the trees. Why don't they just show themselves? They're more pathetic than the French." She said, half-angry, half-grinning.

Spider laughed. "So I guess if the Stuart needs a CIS in the future you won't be taking the offer. She just grinned at him. They fell silent again.

"So, you're going to work for Price?" Scruffy eventually asked Spider with a smile.

"That's what it sounds like." He grinned, not looking at her.

"That'll be cool. We can work together."

Spider glanced up. "You're heading back? I thought you hated Price?"

Scruffy shrugged. "I guess he's not too bad. Better than working for Lyons." She joked. "With Price you know where you stand – he hates everyone."

Spider chuckled then looked at her seriously. "Look, Emma, I'm sorry about Black Box."

Scruffy gave him a sad smile. "Thanks Spider." She bit her lip. "It wasn't your fault you know?"

Spider smiled. "Thanks but Bomber already told me that."

Scruffy raised her eyebrows. "Now there's someone who'll be happy you're off to the Kanimbla."

Spider frowned. "Bomber? Oh no, I don't doubt that." He joked.

Scruffy shook her head. "No, serious." She gave him a mischievous smile so much like one of his own. "I think she'd love it."

Spider lifted his head slightly to ask more of Scruffy when suddenly there was movement behind them. They twisted but didn't fire, thankful as the next second Haynes, Chisholm and two other army men burst out of the bushes. Haynes collapsed almost right next to Scruffy and she rushed to him as Spider offered Chisholm his flask so he could drink. Chisholm almost downed the bottle but offered the rest to the other two. They drank gratefully.

Spider frowned at them. "How long have you been out there?" He asked.

Chisholm shrugged. "At least two days. I think it was Saturday morning that we made the break. It was an easy escape, but they were hunting us. I think they still are."

Spider lowered an eyebrow. "The French? We sent them packing two days ago."

Chisholm shrugged again. "We thought it was the French. There's someone else here?"

Spider nodded. "Bounty hunters, they came on the Stuart. They're after the Hammersley."

Chisholm frowned. "When did the Stuart arrive?"

"Two days ago." Spider said, glancing at Scruffy who was now bent over Haynes trying desperately to help him drink from her water bottle. "You must have been hunted by them."

Chisholm nodded. "Must've been. We lost Black Box and Murray at the start. Are they okay?"

Spider frowned. "Corporal Murray's fine. He's with us now, here somewhere. We have Lance Corporal Sims too. Found him and he's fine. He's still on the Hammersley. But Black Box was killed in battle."

Finally Haynes sat up, hearing this. "He what?" His eyes darted between Spider and Scruffy, but she was too focused on making him drink to give anything away.

Spider nodded. "The French." He tried to stop himself saying it was all his fault. "I'm sorry."

Haynes looked up at Scruffy and sighed. "Are you okay?" He whispered to her.

Scruffy just nodded. "Don't worry about me Luke, I'm fine." She again pushed the bottle to his mouth but he pushed it away.

"Of course I worry about you Emma. You know that."

Spider looked away, feeling like he was disturbing something. He turned his attention to Chisholm. "Where's the others?"

Chisholm shook his head. "I don't know. We lost them yesterday. We got split up. They're with Corporal Fulton, they should be alright. He's a smart kid." He glanced around him. "Where's the rest of yours?"

Spider shrugged. "Scruffy and I got separated. They're around here somewhere though." He glanced around him too before fishing out his handgun and giving it to Chisholm. Chisholm took it happily, thankful to have a weapon again. He gave Spider an appreciative smile then ducked down with the others to talk to them.

Meanwhile Scruffy was helping Haynes to sit up. Haynes still looked downtrodden by the idea that Black Box was dead. He'd looked up to Black Box, to the point where he almost copied his Warrant Officer. He even admired Black Box so much he'd never once even comprehended being friends with Emma Murphy. She didn't know it, but he'd liked her for a long time now. But Black Box had been his friend and so he'd never do it. But now, with Black Box gone, it strangely seemed okay to admit what he felt.

"Emma, look, Black Box made me promise to look out for you okay? In case anything happened to him." That was true, he had made Haynes promise that. "And even if he hadn't, I still would." He gave her a sad smile. "Do you understand me?"

Emma bit her lip then nodded slowly, her hair falling over her face as she looked down. Haynes pushed her hair back off her face and smiled at her. She returned it slowly. She then turned to Spider. "Shall we go find the others?"

Spider nodded. "Sounds good." He and the others pushed themselves to their feet and Emma stood before offering Haynes a hand. He took it and she helped pull him to his feet. Then, handing him her handgun, she turned away. Haynes just smiled and followed her into the bush.

* * *

ET glanced back at Nav as the pair trudged through the bush back towards the beach. The gunfire had ceased five minutes earlier and it was then that they had decided to leave. Unable to raise anyone on the radios they had simply hoped the others had had the same idea. But now, after 5 minutes of silence from Nav, ET was getting less worried about his friends and more agitated with her.

"Are you going to talk to me?" He asked suddenly, causing Nav to look up and nearly trip over a root. She righted herself before he fell though and simply glared at the arm ET had instinctively offered to her. "Nikki?"

"I don't think we have anything to talk about." She almost growled.

"What about the fact that I…" He was cut off by a whistle from nearby and they turned quickly to see six figures stride out of the bushes. Nav raised her gun, but ET had already recognised the whistle as Spider's. He strode past a still frowning Nav and met them in a clearing, finding Spider had brought with him Scruffy and four of Black Box's army men. "Hey, you seen Swain and the CO?" He asked them.

Spider shook his head. "Nah, didn't find any of those Stuart guys either. I don't know what they were intending by this but it didn't work."

"Well, it sort of did. I mean, unless the CO and Swain have managed a miraculous find and discovered Buffer and the others by themselves." Nav pointed out.

ET looked back at her. "Don't get too optimistic there Nav, you might burst a blood vessel." He teased. She growled and turned away. ET just smiled back at Spider. "We should head for the beach. Hopefully the others have had the same idea."

Spider nodded. "We had the same idea." Scruffy and the army men pushed forward to join Nav as Spider fell back with ET. "What's wrong with Nav?" He asked as they started towards the beach again.

ET grinned. "Always subtle aren't you mate?" Spider gave a goofy smile. "Nothing, I think she just hates these Stuart guys as much as we all do."

Spider nodded, understanding that. But ET just frowned at Nav's back, knowing that wasn't it.

* * *

The RHIB was set in place and everyone on the bridge looked out but frowned as they saw it was half empty. Only Swain and the CO were inside. They had made it to the beach not long after they had been split from the others. But, as the gunfire had not yet ceased at that stage, they were forced to leave without their men. As before, the minute they'd approached the beach the radios worked fine again, so they knew that the others would be able to call on Rhino's services themselves soon enough. The X agreed with his decision but Bomber, who was still clearly displeased she hadn't been allowed to go herself, just frowned and spent the next ten minutes staring at the radio and waiting for a sign of life. They got it. ET was on the beach. Rhino left once again.

"Price called his men straight back after the Stuart started firing on them." The X explained as the CO joined them on the bridge after putting his shore search gear away. "He called us to apologize but I told him you'd understand."

The CO nodded. "Yeah, I do." He frowned. "This does, however, leave us with a problem. Evidently they have been listening in to all our conversations to know we were coming ashore. We can rule out planning over the radio from here on. And we'll need to look at the radios again. We got white noise inland, just like before."

Kate frowned. "But I thought we'd fixed that."

The CO shrugged but his attention was turned as Charge, standing on deck, announced the arrival of the RHIB.

As the RHIB was raised Bomber joined the X and CO out on the deck, seeing who they'd recovered. To her relief Spider and Scruffy, supporting a bruised and tired Corporal Haynes, were inside. She grinned at Spider who gave her a sheepish look before turning and heading inside. Waiting by her cabin door for news from someone, she was found first by Scruffy who looked flustered but happy.

"Thanks for looking after Spider." Bomber grinned at her.

Scruffy chuckled. "My pleasure, he's funny." She smiled.

Bomber nodded. "Yeah, he is." She tipped her head slightly. "How's Haynes?"

Scruffy gave her a knowing look. "Whatever you're thinking Bomber…"

Bomber shrugged. "Just as long as you know what you're doing Emma."

Scruffy looked away sadly. "I don't know what I'm doing." She sighed. "But I like Luke, I always have."

Bomber gave her a lop-sided smile. "I'm afraid I can't help you there Scruff. My dad always said to go with your heart and where the wind takes you. I think that's good advice."

Scruffy gave her a smile and turned away, but looked back at her quickly. "I will if you will." She said mysteriously before walking away. A minute later Spider appeared at Bomber's side.

"Are you sure Scruffy doesn't hate me? She made a pretty hasty escape when she saw me just then."

Bomber smothered a smile at Scruffy's departing figure. "Yeah, I'm sure." She smiled at Spider. "So you up for raiding the galley? I don't think Princess has found my chocolate stash yet!" She grinned before the pair of them headed for the galley, talking inanely as usual. Back to normal. Well, as normal as war could be.

_

* * *

_

_1648_

"What's on your mind?" Scruffy looked up from her bed to see Spider standing in the doorway.

She gave him a brief smile. "Nothing much. You looking for Bomber?" Spider nodded. Scruffy shrugged. "Sorry then, she's not here."

Spider nodded again. "I noticed." He frowned. "Look, Scruffy, whatever you're sad about, just remember the phoenix."

Scruffy laughed. "The what?"

"The phoenix." Spider repeated, rather more serious than anyone would have expected from the Seaman. "When things get bad he dies and falls into the ashes…"

"Well that's an encouraging thought." Scruffy joked, rudely cutting over him.

Spider continued as if she'd never said anything. "… but after that he's reborn from the ashes and he's more beautiful than ever before."

Scruffy's smile softened. "That's actually a really sweet analogy Spider."

He shrugged. "Yeah, believe it or not I can do sweet." He shot her a grin and walked away. A minute later Scruffy looked up to see Bomber standing there, her eyes darting between him and Scruffy.

"Tell me I'm hearing things." She grinned.

Scruffy shook her head. "I wish I could say you were." She laughed at the look of horror on Bomber's face. "He was very nice. And he's looking for you."

Bomber nodded. "I know. I'm avoiding him." She stepped into the room and shut the door behind her. "I can't get any work done with him around."

Scruffy scoffed. "Can't or don't want to?" Bomber pouted at her. She smiled. "Well, if he pulls lines like that one on you it's no wonder."

Bomber grinned. "I can't believe he came up with that." She sat on the desk, shaking her head.

Scruffy looked up with a knowing smile. "He didn't." Bomber looked at her, confused and Scruffy shrugged. "Charge told me it yesterday, but I don't have the heart to tell Spider that." The two girls laughed.

**A/N: **What was ET about to say? Ha ha ha. OMG I love taunting you all. Two more chapters and the truth will be revealed. Until then I'll just keep teasing you all.


	32. Chapter 31: Patches

Chapter Thirty-One:  
Patches

_Tuesday morning  
0649_

RO put the radio down with a frown. It was still ten minutes before the CO was required on deck and he knew better than to deprive the already stressed man of some much needed sleep, but the news was important. Important enough to warrant a call to the boss' cabin. He picked up the phone slowly.

"Sir, yeah, it was the Kanimbla. Price has some news."

Five minutes later Mike and the X had joined the Leading Seaman on the bridge. "What's happened?"

RO simply motioned to the Kanimbla, where they were lowering two RHIBs into the water, full. "Price has launched two full search parties to look for Buffer and the others. That's what he says anyway."

Mike glanced at Kate. She shrugged. "What's he playing at?"

RO frowned. "There's something else, but maybe you should talk to Lieutenant Commander Price about that."

Mike nodded and picked up the radio. Price picked up and explained everything without Mike even asking. "I told you we'd do our bit for your men Mike." He exclaimed. "But I'm going to have to leave you for about four to five hours. I have a rendezvous with the Childers, to drop off some Frenchmen."

Mike knew the Kanimbla had been gathering the bodies of the sixty Frenchman since finding them the day before. But this was out of the question. "Steven, the dead men can wait. The Stuart is after us and without you here we can expect an attack."

Price sighed. "Sorry Mike but Canberra already wants my guts for garter and if they want to send a patrol boat to come up here and pick up some dead frogs then I try not to question them." He paused. "Look, whatever you need I can lend you until we get back, but we need to make this rendezvous or the Stuart can expect to be sent a bounty for my head too."

Mike understood. "Okay. We need some of your radios. That's all."

Price didn't say anything for a second, clearly shocked by the suggestion, then replied. "Alrightie, consider it done. I'll send them over as soon as possible. If that's it then we'll prepare to leave you. I guess I'll see you this afternoon."

Mike put down the radio and looked up to find Kate watching him, questioning him. Mike guessed it was about the radios. "The crew encountered difficulties, as you know. Just us, not the Kanimbla." He stopped, glanced at the Kanimbla, then back at Kate. "The Stuart have been messing with our radios."

Kate frowned. "So, was it the, uh, best idea to have now told them you know this? Won't they go after the Kanimbla's radios now?"

Mike shook his head. "They can try, but not even the best can wave static over the HMAS Kanimbla. Whatever they did to us isn't tricky, patrol boats aren't exactly the toughest ships in the fleet. But the Kanimbla goes to warzones. She has amazing anti-tampering mechanisms. You can only mess her up if you're actually on the ship."

Kate remembered Scruffy mentioning hacking into their systems but having to distract the Kanimbla's navigator to do the same to the Kanimbla. "So, you talked to Price knowing the Stuart was listening because you wanted to taunt them?" She gave him a disapproving but nonetheless comical look.

Mike just nodded. "If they think they're going to win a psychological war with me, they are very very wrong."

* * *

Swain frowned. "No!" He exclaimed for the fifth time in a row. The figure at the door grumbled but he ignored it. "I tell you again, give me five reasons to believe you're fine for shore work." He turned to her.

Bomber bit her lip. "I gave you four." Puppy-dog eyes. They wouldn't work on him.

"Bomber, no. You know perfectly well what could happen if you strain yourself."

"Goddam it Swain, I'm bored out of my mind. If I don't get a chance to do something soon my physical health will come second to my psychological health."

"Wasn't that already the problem?" A passing figure asked. Bomber poked her tongue out at ET and he just laughed. "See, mature as always." He continued on his way to the bridge.

Bomber frowned after him but then quickly drew her attention back to Swain. "At least let me do one. Anything goes wrong and I won't bug you again. Promise."

Swain glanced past her just another figure passed. He called on him. "Spider." The Seaman looked up, finally noticing the two figures nearby. He glanced between Swain and an agitated Bomber, then smiled. Swain continued. "Spider, you've been miss whine-a-lot quiet for a while now…"

Spider grinned. "Am I finally getting a medal for that?" He joked.

Swain smiled but Bomber just growled at him. "Actually, I was hoping you could give me another reason why Bomber should be able to return to shore work."

Spider frowned under Bomber's gaze. He then gave Swain an uncertain smile. Swain didn't buy it, but listened anyway. "Yeah, she, uh, she's back to being a pain. Punches just as hard as before too." He instinctively rubbed a spot on his arm and Bomber chuckled under her breath.

"So, you think she's fit for shore search?"

Spider shrugged. "I'm not a doctor but, yeah, I guess so. She's back to normal. I haven't seen her get tired suddenly or anything, and she's been following me around annoying me for almost 8 hours a day."

Swain looked at Bomber. "Fine. One search. But anything, anything at all happens and you're bedridden until Commander Marshall comes and takes you off this ship himself."

Bomber grinned. "Thanks Swain. I won't let you down."

"No, you won't Bomber or I'll kill you myself." Swain warned before leaving Bomber and Spider behind.

She turned her attention on the Seaman. "Cheers Spi. I owe you one." She punched him in the arm before walking off in the direction of the bridge. Spider just rubbed his arm and, grumbling, followed her.

* * *

_0815_

The seven figures on the RHIB jumped ashore, each of them holding a new radio they'd acquired from the Kanimbla. Already they had been welcomed to the frequency by someone named Ben Hur who had mentioned he was part of the Kanimbla's search party but that they needn't bother worrying about them, they were fine. Mike didn't have the heart to mention he wasn't worried about them but more about his own dwindling crew, so said nothing more than good luck. It had been enough for Ben Hur though and they hadn't heard from him since.

But snapping back to the present, Mike glanced at the group. "Okay, we'll split into two groups. We'll start where we found the cap and fan out alright?" They all agreed. It didn't take them long to find the spot from the day before, Swain's memory strangely good, and they started out. Nav, Swain and Scruffy had stuck with him, Nav giving ET a look that simply said 'don't even try it' when ET had attempted to join the CO's search group. So he'd been left with Spider and Bomber. They separated, keeping in radio contact until they ran out of things to say and lapsed into silence.

After half an hour of searching they'd found nothing else however and Scruffy was getting dramatic, clearly worried about her part in the capture. "This is all my fault. I should've followed him or something. Instead I just ran away, like a little girl." She sighed, kicking a rock nearby. It flew and hit Nav, who was walking in front of her, in the back of the leg. The Navigator turned and glared at the Seaman. Scruffy just sighed. "Sorry Nav."

Swain shook his head and looked at her. "Look, none of this is helping find them is it? So, come on, cheer up, they'll be fine."

Nav agreed. "Yeah, please don't do an impersonation of Happy-Days-RO-Dixon for us, we just got rid of him." Scruffy cheered up a little, just in time for the CO to spot something.

"Swain." He called back. Swain hurried up to his side and the CO crouched down and fished something out of a bush. It was nothing more than a piece of fabric, but it was conclusive enough. Someone had been through here in a hurry.

But it was Scruffy that recognized it. "That's Fulton's." The others looked at her as she explained. "It's from a patch he wears on his uniform. His father was an army man as well. He died though. Tim cut up his father's uniform and sewed a patch of it to each of his uniforms." She looked up from it to the CO. "So if the others have been through here, how come they haven't made it to the Hammersley yet?"

The CO pocketed the fabric. "I don't know." He picked up his gun. "Let's keep going."

* * *

"Alright, so give me the short and curlies of it. This one here…" She thumbed towards Spider. "He's about as useful at sharing information as a mute possum."

ET snorted. "A mute possum?" Bomber shrugged. "So, the deal is, Canberra wants us back. And when I say us, I mean you lot. Marshall wants me back so he can kill me, but no bounty on my head. Anyway, he sent out a call for information. Alas, we have the biggest gossip columnist on hand and Rembrandt told everyone about our struggles. No one helped Canberra. So, the bounty. Pay rises and rank for anyone who can get us home. Enter Lieutenant Commander Frederick Lyons, nutbag. Calls on some old friends and comes up here for your heads."

Spider stopped. "Wait a minute, the CO didn't mention Rembrandt and the lack of information."

ET shrugged. "Sometimes you just have to listen in to other people's conversations." He revealed.

Bomber laughed, looking at Spider. "And I had you down as the creepy one." Spider ignored her. She looked back at ET. "So, these friends are ex-ADF right? What do they want with us?"

"They have sons in the Navy. They want to get their sons a promotion or maybe a recommendation from Lyons. Whatever they say they want, I think they just like the thrill of the chase. These guys are professional bounty hunters, they just like to hunt."

They were silent for a little longer and then Bomber broke the silence with a laugh. "Typical navy brats."

ET glanced up. "Hey, I'm a navy brat thank you very much."

Bomber smiled. "Yeah, proving my point exactly."

Spider laughed and ET turned on him. "Spider! Whose side are you on here?"

Spider shook his head. "Leave me out of this."

Bomber grinned. "Now you're catching on." She glanced at ET. "Navy brat." She teased.

ET shook his head. "I knew I should've gone with Swain. I'm horribly outnumbered here with Twiddle-dum and Twidd…." He stopped, hearing something.

The other two heard it to and turned quickly, but it was just an animal, a small furry thing rushing from the bush and past them. The turn, however, didn't seem to have the best effect on Bomber and she squeezed her eyes closed, rubbing her forehead.

"Bomb?" Spider said, taking a step towards her and causing ET to look up from where the furry thing had disappeared. She was unsteady on her feet and Spider took a step closer. A good thing too as a second later she fainted, Spider grabbing her at the last minute before she hit the ground. He shifted her in his arms, bringing a hand around to tap her face as ET watched for life nearby. "Bomb, Bomber, Becca can you hear me?" He leant closer, tapping her cheek as he spoke. "Bec, come on Rebecca."

"Your hands are cold." She managed before finally opening her eyes. She was still weak and continued to let Spider hold her up.

ET laughed. "Well, there's gratitude for you."

Spider didn't even smile. "Bec, you told me you were alright. I backed you up." Bomber lifted her eyes to him but didn't move an inch. "You're impossible." He sighed, giving her a soft smile.

"Thank you. I try." She returned before taking his hand and pushing herself to her feet again. She wavered a bit but stayed upright this time. Spider let her go slowly, uncertainly, and she bent over double, catching her breath. Then she raised her head and grinned, seemingly back to normal. "Okay, that was fun. So… Navy brats."

ET shook his head. "Oh no you don't." He grabbed his radio. "You aren't going to pretend that didn't happen." He looked at Spider. "We need to get her back to the Hammersley." Spider nodded.

Bomber gaped. "What? I'm fine." She glared at Spider, determined to make him side with her. "Spider!"

But Spider just shook his head. "No, Bomber he's right. You're not okay. You're going back to the Hammersley." Bomber frowned at him but seemed impressed by the fact he was standing up to her and said nothing. ET wandered off a bit to call Rhino and as he did Bomber took her chance to turn on Spider on last time. She pinched him.

"Ow. What the hell Bomber?"

"No more siding with ET! And don't call me Becca ever again!" She growled.

Spider just gave her a look that simply said 'sure' and looked away. Bomber smiled at his back for a second then, her head still spinning, leant against a nearby tree. Back to the Hammersley. Back to being bored out of her mind. She silently cursed the Islanders again.


	33. Chapter 32: Screams In The Dark

Chapter Thirty-Two:  
Screams In The Dark

The X looked out at where the Kanimbla had once sat. Although still on their radar, she seemed so far away now. To them she was little more than a large figure on the horizon. She would be gone until about 1400, Price said, but they'd be fine without her. Kate tended to think otherwise, but didn't suggest this to the CO. He had enough to worry about already. Plus she guessed he was already stressed out now being unprotected. They now had the Prairial looming in the distance, finally clear from the bridge, and that was intimidating enough. But they knew there was worse. Somewhere, out there, was one of their own but at the same time an enemy.

So Kate started to distract herself with the radar screen, hoping to find a way to get her eyes off the big empty space nearby. She found her eyes drawn to a small collection of islands behind Libertile, and glanced up at RO who was sitting nearby.

"RO, those islands back there, what are they?" She motioned to the radar screen. RO stood and glanced at them over her shoulder, before going back to his seat.

"They're the Libertile-Pacific Islands ma'am. They're part of Libertile, I believe. The name suggests so anyway."

Kate glanced at them, watching them click up every time the radar went over them. A small collection of little islands that, for some reason, she now wanted to go to. But her thoughts were distracted when the radio blared and ET's voice came through, calling for the RHIB. They'd only been gone for about 40 minutes. Then ET said what the X had been expecting. They'd found nothing, but Bomber had fallen sick again. She could almost hear Swain curse and decided to leave him the task of punishing Bomber. Instead she just called on Rhino then left the bridge to help lower the RHIB.

_

* * *

_

1103

"Lunch." Luke said, poking his head into Scruffy and Bomber's room cheerily.

Scruffy just shushed him and motioned to Bomber. She was asleep. She then stood up and met him at the door. "Did the CO tell you about Fulton's patch?" She asked, whispering so as to not wake her cabin-mate.

Haynes nodded. "Yeah." He frowned. "I hope he's okay. Obviously whatever was after us was after him too. He wouldn't've left that patch behind unless he was in a hurry."

Scruffy agreed. She then looked at him seriously. "So, you didn't see who was after you? Hear anything?"

"Nothing. They didn't speak, they were just there. I spoke to Murray. He says the same thing about whoever was stalking him. It was really scary. Like it was all in your head but you knew it wasn't. I think I must've questioned what I was hearing almost ten times a day. It was like being followed by ghosts."

"Better the devil you know." Scruffy suggested.

Haynes smiled. "Thanks Kylie." He glanced at Bomber. "Is she going to be okay?"

"Once she's done swallowing her pride and admitting she's not well."

"Well, it wouldn't hurt anyone to do that once in a while." Haynes said rather mysteriously. Scruffy just frowned, unsure what he meant. Then his serious face fell and he grinned. "Princess has made chicken lasagne, your favourite right?"

Scruffy grinned. "Yeah." She glanced back at Bomber. "Alright, come on, I'm starving now."

_

* * *

_

1219

"I'm tempted to just call them and ask them what the hell they're up to." Mike said, looking out at the island.

Kate looked up at him. "Sorry sir?"

"The Stuart. Why haven't they done anything? You'd think with the Kanimbla gone they'd be relishing the chance to attack us."

"I try not to work out what they're up to." Kate said with a smile.

Mike nodded. "True. But that's when I'd attack. When the cat's away…" He fell silent.

"Sir, there's someone on the beach." ET said, looking up from the EOD. "It's one of the Kanimbla men."

Mike grabbed the radio. "This is Lieutenant Commander Flynn of the Hammersley." He said.

The man radioed back quickly, the CO watching him on the EOD raising his radio to his mouth. "This is Ben Hur. Just doing a check sir. Lieutenant Commander Price insisted we keep in contact with you every hour from midday if we were still searching."

Mike smiled at Price's forward thinking. "Very good. What have you found?"

"Sir, we've found the base. They were about 45 minutes northwest of the French mass grave. Unfortunately when we got there they were gone. I think they've been listening into our radios and managed to move them before we got too close. I'm sorry sir. They left no clues as to where they went."

Mike sighed. "Well, thanks for the heads up."

"We're going to keep searching sir. We want your men back as much as you do so we can all go home."

Mike chuckled. "Good good. Well, we expect to hear from you again at 1300, yes?"

Ben Hur gave them a yes, a wave like he knew he was being watched, then darted back into the trees. Mike just looked at Kate and she shrugged. They may not think like Lyons, but they were glad they thought like Price – most of the time.

_

* * *

_

1500

Ben Hur radioed back at 1300 and 1400 almost right on the dot and then, at 1458 the figure of the Kanimbla came back onto their radar screens. Nav grinned at the sight of it. Mike just picked up the radio.

"You're late Price."

Price left them hanging for a minute, then laughed. "Your mates on the Childers are a jealous bunch. Think it's unfair you're the lucky patrol boat that wandered into this mess."

"Lucky is not the word." Mike returned.

Price agreed. "True, true." He made a noise like he was blowing air between his teeth. "So, you heard from the shore lot yet?" He asked.

"Yeah, at 1300 and 1400. We're awaiting the next transmission." He glanced at his watch as it ticked over to 1500.

"Okay, I'll get off the line. We'll be with you in about 30 minutes. Come visit." He put down the radio. But he needn't have bothered. 5 minutes passed and there was no word from Ben Hur. 10 minutes. 20 minutes.

Mike picked up the radio. "Ben Hur, this is Lieutenant Commander Flynn of the Hammersley. Do you hear me?"

Nothing. He repeated the message. Then a voice came through. It was Price. "Don't tell me you've lost my men Mike." He said jokingly.

Mike frowned. "I don't understand. He was perfectly on time previously."

"Try again. If you don't hear from him in 20 minutes I'm sending out a search crew."

Mike tried again. Then a second time. Then a third time. But there was no reply.

_

* * *

_

1547

Everyone on the bridge watched the ten men of the Kanimbla jump out of the RHIB and head ashore. They disappeared into the bush.

Mike just looked at the others on the bridge. "They'll be fine. They'll find them." He assured the crew.

ET sighed. "We should be in there with them, looking."

Mike shook his head. "They're army, trained for this sort of thing. We'll only slow them down." He motioned to the EOD. "Just keep watch ET. That's the best we can do for them at the moment."

_

* * *

_

1833

"Crew, bring it back in for tonight. We'll continue our search in the morning." Price's voice came over the radio.

Mike glanced at it then picked it up. "What are you doing?"

"Mike, I'm bringing my men back in. It's gone dark, no one knows their way around and we didn't come equipped with night vision gear. We're useless in there."

Mike sighed. "Have they found anything?" They hadn't been receiving transmissions from the Kanimbla's internal radios for almost 4 hours now.

"Nothing. They'll be alright though. They're trained for this sort of thing. Don't you worry your little head about this Mike." Price put down the radio.

Mike turned to Nav and ET. "You two stay up tonight and man the radar and EOD. Price may be nonchalant about this, but I know there's something else out there, no matter what he says."

_

* * *

_

2100

"Nothing." Nav chewed her lip as she glanced at the EOD, her attention drawn by the lack of movement of the screen that now glared green under the night vision. The green lit up ET's face as he too watched on anxiously. "Nothing." She repeated, resigned.

Almost in reaction ET reached out a hand to comfort her. This time she didn't pull away, just dropping her chin to her hand as ET lay a hand on her shoulder. He stayed that way for a little bit before moving it slowly. The movement seemed to wake Nav from her stupor and she flinched, lifting her head and turning away. His hand fell away, landing with a sickening thud onto the back of her chair. His wrist hurt, but he didn't feel it, just shoving his hand back into his pocket with a sigh. This caused her to turn on him again, the concern gone and replaced by irritation at him. But ET had had enough. "Yeah, yeah you hate me. I don't know why because I didn't do anything to hurt you, I wouldn't, but I get it."

Nav growled. "Uh, no, you don't get it. If you got it you'd understand why I'm so upset about this."

ET snorted, his own anger rising. He knew getting angry wouldn't solve this mess, but the temptation to have a crack at her had been there so long he finally took it. "Upset? You don't look upset. You look a PMS cow who clearly doesn't know what she wants. So go on, tell me what I need to do. Evidently I'm an idiot who doesn't understand anything and I need you to tell me."

Nav looked taken aback by his reaction but her shock was soon replaced by anger again. "Don't call me a PMS cow. How dare you?" She glared at him but he ignored her. "I've never treated you like you're an idiot. How can you say that? I mean, you've already proven you know nothing about me but to…"

ET cut her off. "Know nothing? Know nothing?" He scoffed and glanced away. "I don't know what you want me to say. I love you Nikki and I thought you knew that. That's why I as…"

The buzz of the radio cut him off and they both looked up at the sound of white noise once again. Nav ran over to the radio and clicked record on the system RO had set up. For a minute there was nothing and Nav took the chance to call the CO up to the bridge. He didn't make it to hear the start though. The blood-curdling scream that made Nav jump and reach for the closest comforting thing – ET's hand. Then the scream stopped. Silence. The white noise cleared again. Breathing, heavy breathing. It sounded like someone was running. Then a voice. It was Price on the other end of the line. He'd heard the scream too.

"Jekyll, Jekyll is that you?" He almost yelled into the radio.

It was then that the CO appeared, looking like he'd run the entire way. Two people were with him. The X and RO. As they stopped on the bridge they heard something that made the X turn white and RO freeze in his spot. Another blood-curdling scream, this time at a distance from the radio. Over it that same heavy breathing. And Price, still yelling into the radio from the Kanimbla. The CO grabbed the radio himself.

"Get off the line Steven… just listen." He ordered.

Price fell silent, almost obeying. A yell, a voice they didn't recognise. A slight accent – undistinguishable what it was. Another yell. This time of a name they knew from a voice they knew.

"Hyde, Hyde they're behind us." A voice said close-by. It was Ben Hur. They guessed the radio's owner was, as Price had suspected, the team leader 1st Class Warrant Officer Andrew 'Jekyll' Hyde. The voice was that of the man they'd met earlier, Lance Corporal Benjamin 'Ben Hur' Neal. Both of them were running, hard. But the radio provided those safely on the Australian warships with no indication of who was chasing them. Only one voice unknown. Only one accent not made out. No gunfire. Something was hunting them. Then, thankfully, Jekyll spoke.

"They came out of nowhere…. all my men are dead or captured or running like me…. co-ordinated movements…. but they're not…. they're nearby… coming up… Price you told us…. said they were no threat… so very wrong…." White noise enveloped most of his words, but it was clear enough. They were being hunted. Just like Black Box's men. Just like Murray and Black Box. Just like Buffer had said. Something was out there. Something that Steven Price had known about.

But there was silence and everyone on the bridge just stared silently at the radio waiting for anything. Even Price had gone silent and hadn't tried to shush his man when Hyde had suggested Price had known the danger they were in. Then the white noise died. The radio fell silent. There was nothing more. Nothing more than a flock of birds that rose from the island into the dark night sky as if scared awake by the most gruesome of screams. The screams of a human being dying… slowly.


	34. Chapter 33: Out Of The Blue

Chapter Thirty-Three:  
Out Of The Blue

_Tuesday night  
2216_

The bridge was packed full. Everyone was there. The night crew the best dressed amongst the bleary-eyed others. Bomber was yawning widely, still weak from earlier. She was resting on the arm of Scruffy who, in turn, was putting her pressure on the shoulder of Chisholm next to her. None of them looked very happy about why they were up in the middle of their small sleeping break, but when the recording blared over the bridge they all awoke. The scream made Spider turn white, and even Swain looked worried. The army men seemed to remain the least emotional, but rather than the girls, it was the Colonel's hand that shook. Mike watched him clench his hands tightly then remembered why. These were the Colonel's friends. He knew from reading the Colonel's file that his nickname came from a past in the Army, but he'd changed to the Navy 4 years back. It was understandable that the Colonel would still be close to the Kanimbla's two Army groups – the first Black Box's men, the second Jekyll's men. And with Black Box dead and half his men still missing, he didn't need to hear the other group had disappeared too. No, worse than disappeared, they'd been hunted.

"They're dead, aren't they?" Haynes finally asked, showing the first sign of life amongst the dumbstruck crew.

The X looked up from the ground as Mike spoke and, watching her, he found comfort in her gaze to prepare him for what he was about to say. "It seems highly likely, yes."

The Colonel turned and left the bridge. Scruffy gasped. Sims sighed. Herbie bit his lip. Spider shook his head sadly. Princess looked about ready to burst into tears. But it was the Colonel that Mike really saw and, giving Kate a look, he followed the Leading Seaman from the bridge.

"Drink it." He pushed the bottle into the young man's hand but it was pushed away with a force neither of them had expected. So, giving up, Corporal Tim Fulton sat down against the tree, finishing the water himself. "Where the heck are we?" He asked aloud, neither of the two Privates with him paying his question any attention. "This is ridiculous."

It was about midnight and pitch black. In the middle of the day they had heard movement, voices of Australians, and assumed it was the Hammersley crew looking for them. He was sure he'd even heard the name Buffer, but they'd been too weak then to call out. Then, barely 3 hours earlier, they'd heard more movement but this time it was someone else. Someone that moved with a stealth they had only heard once before. The night they had been separated from Haynes and the others. So, spooked, they had run. Now, hopelessly lost, they heard nothing and as comforting as it was to know they were no longer being hunted, they had also lost the voices of the allies. They were alone in the middle of nowhere and they weren't even certain if either the Hammersley or Kanimbla were waiting for them. It wasn't the most encouraging place to be.

* * *

Mike found the Colonel in the junior sailors mess, just staring at the bulkhead lost in thoughts. He sat down next to him slowly and the Kanimbla man looked up with a small smile. "Sir?"  
"How are you Colonel?"  
The man sighed. "Yeah, you know. Great."  
Mike just frowned. "You should talk to someone Timothy. We can all see the missing men have affected you."  
The Colonel groaned. "Oh, I know it's just." He sighed again. "I don't know."  
Mike smiled. "I know. It's the place and everything that's happened. It's worse than normal."  
"Yeah, but I work on the Kanimbla. We see worse than normal every day."  
"In that case you can blame being on a patrol boat for too long. It makes you weak." Mike gave a small smile and the Colonel returned it slowly.  
"Maybe I better just go have a lay down for a bit." He suggested.  
Mike frowned. "I'll talk to RO, get him to give you some time on the phone. Call somebody at home. Everyone else on here seems to have someone to talk to except you. Go ring somebody and talk to them."  
The Colonel pushed himself up. "No, I'll be fine. I just…"  
He stopped and Mike grabbed his arm. "Talk to someone Tim. Please." Then with one last look back at the man, Mike left the room.

_

* * *

_

Wednesday morning  
? hours

It had been at least two whole days since Buffer and the others had been dragged from their underground hideaway in the middle of the night and tramped through the bush, blindfolded and tied up. Now, dark again, their blindfolds had finally been removed and Buffer glanced at the others around him, happy to see that considering everything they hadn't been separated. They also hadn't been gagged. But calling out was useless. The bush around them was silent and dark. There was no one around. And they had no idea how far they were from the Hammersley. Escape was futile, even if they did manage to get past the ten goons standing around them with guns pointed at their faces.

Already the others around him seemed to have resigned themselves to being held captive and were simply slumped there, not even bothering to try to move. They weren't dehydrated or tired, the Stuart had kept them all well fed and watered, but they'd given up. Not that it really mattered. The Stuart were Australians, as mad as they clearly were, and the worst that would happen to them was that they'd be taken home to Australia. He could see on the faces of the others that they were becoming tired with Libertile and wouldn't mind going home at all, but Buffer wanted to fight. He wanted to get back to the Hammersley and find out why, all of a sudden, this tiny little island in the middle of nowhere was bursting with activity. Maybe it was his imagination, or the fact it was just too soon after Samaru, but he felt in his heart that there was something bigger going on here. Something bigger than they had imagined.

His thoughts were cut short by the sound of footsteps and many of the men around him looked up to the bushes nearby, looking a little fearful. Buffer frowned. What were they scared of? But then an older man broke through the trees followed by two younger sailors and the men visibly relaxed. Buffer glanced up at the man and knew instantly who it was. He growled in the man's general direction. "Lyons."

The man, every inch a captain and every inch mad, just smiled. At 5'10 he had nothing on Buffer. In any fight Buffer would cream him. But surrounded by larger men and with Buffer tied up tightly, the wiry brunette captain of the Stuart was cocky. "I'm so glad you know who I am. See, I know so much about you Mr. Tomaszewski." He grinned. "Yes, I know your name."

Buffer didn't even blink. "Of course you do, it's written on my overalls you bastard."

Lyons frowned. "Peter 'Buffer' Tomaszewski. Petty Officer Bosun. 34. 6 years on the Hammersley. Polish born. 2 siblings; Damien and Isabella. Father named Luka, real estate agent. Mother, Sophia, deceased as of last year. I'm sorry to hear that Peter." He crowed, making Buffer glare more. Lyons had his file. And seemingly not only his. He turned to the others slowly, testing them as well. "Julian 'Caesar' Royal. Leading Seaman Electrical Technician. 31. Married to Kara Royal, nee Higgins. Baby daughter named Susie. Served on the Hammersley since May. Previous service on the HMAS Newcastle. Medal for bravery. Very impressive Mister Royal." Buffer met Caesar's eye and the Leading Seaman just shrugged, agreeing Lyons' ability to read was nothing impressive. But then he turned his attention on the younger sailors. And Buffer knew his cold charm would get to them.

"Alright, you've made your point, you have our files. We get it." Buffer said, attempting to save the now nervous-looking sailors nearby.

But Lyons wasn't about to give up. "Nice try Buffer, but I'm enjoying myself now." He pointed to each of the sailors in turn. "Ryan 'Dutchy' Van Gould-Cooper. Able Seaman Writer. 23. Grew up in Wooloomooloo in Sydney, near Fleet Base East. Liked the big ships as a boy did you Ryan?" He turned to Archie. "Gregory 'Archibald' Piote. Able Seaman. Trainee Medic. 24. Aboriginal Descent. 3 siblings." Then finally was Pierce. The young man put up his hands.

"Alright, alright. You're brilliant, I got it." He said, trying to save himself. No one liked it when your enemy knew things about you they shouldn't. It's easier when they have no idea who you are. Buffer could appreciate Pierce's attempts. There was something incredibly unnerving about having a man who wants to hold you prisoner telling you your loved ones' names.

Lyons grinned. "Thank you Alexander. I'll spare you after all." He paused. "How's your mum?" He then asked. Pierce turned pale. Lyons smiled cruelly and looked back at Buffer. "So I hope my men have been good to you."

"What the hell is all this about?" Buffer asked, ignoring Lyon's snide remark.

Lyons just smiled. "What it's always about Buffer… money. Nice little price-tag on your heads and we all want in on that. Can you really blame us? Have you seen the retirement package I'm going to get offered in 5 years time? 25,000 a year. A pizza-delivery kid earns more than that. I have two children to think of Buffer. Both want to go to university. I can't help them with that on 25,000 a year."

"Do you want my sympathy now?"

Lyons laughed. "No, of course not, just understanding. Anyway, as far as I can see, we've done you some good. There's some people out there in those bushes that not even we know how to deal with."

Caesar frowned. "What are you on about?" He snapped. But Buffer was silent, just frowning at Lyons' figure.

Lyons went serious. "If I knew than I wouldn't be so determined to get my men, and your friends, out of here as soon as possible. But, alas, I am not Steven Price."

Buffer frowned. "What?" He glanced at Caesar who just shrugged. "You saying Price knows what's out there?"

Lyons nodded. "Of course he knows. Steven Price knows everything, makes it his job to. Which is why I had to work extra hard to keep our friends here," He waved his hand towards the goons standing around him. One of them sneered, looking rather proud. "… from being discovered. Yet I had a feeling when Price radioed us the day before we arrived that he was on to our stop-off in Cairns."

Buffer shook his head. "Uh, no, he didn't radio you." He couldn't believe what he was hearing from Lyons and refused to believe it. Already he'd been told that Price, their one ally in all this, knew about the enemy. The same enemy that had freaked both he and Haynes out. But now Price had spoken to Lyons before the Stuart and Parramatta had arrived at Libertile – if true a fact that he hadn't disclosed to Mike and the Hammersley crew. He paused in thought. "What did he say?"

Lyons just gave a sly smile. "He told us not to come. That you would leave as soon as he requested it. But he was wrong wasn't he? Either that or he underestimated your captain. I know about the vigilante tendencies of Mike Flynn and never underestimate them. I also know the kind of person Steven Price is." He stopped. "But that's enough for now. It's nearly daybreak so, back to sleep." He ushered his goons forward. "Tomorrow we're going back to the Stuart. You can stay there." He shuddered a little and looked around him. "To tell you the truth, this island freaks me out."

Then, with Buffer's last image Lyons smile, he was knocked out cold.

* * *

"Shhh." The three Amy men ducked down behind a tree as three figures strode past. One, clearly higher-ranking than the other two, spoke to the others who just nodded silently.

"We sail tomorrow at 1300 for their side of the island. I don't like it out here."

One of the younger ones agreed. "I know sir, it's those islands."

The man chuckled. "You're scared of islands Hodgins?"

Hodgins laughed along, but it was forced. "Yeah, yeah stupid isn't it?"

"Maybe not." The older one turned serious and stopped. "There's something about those islands I don't like either." He glanced around them. "Still, not as bad as this island." He sighed. "If only I could figure out what they're hiding." Then, continuing on, they lost sight of him.

Fulton pushed himself to his feet and glanced at the others. "I know that voice."

The Private next to Fulton, a young man named Simon Leard, just frowned. "So do I." He glanced up. "That's Lieutenant Commander Lyons. My sister serves on his ship."

"I know. So what is the HMAS Stuart doing here?" He stopped. "They must be here to help." Fulton frowned. "So, were they coming from the Hammersley?"

The two Privates shrugged silently.

Fulton nodded slowly. "Only one way to find out. We go the way they just came." The others agreed and they set off in the direction Lyons had just come. After twenty minutes of walking, they heard voices and subconsciously stepped back behind the nearest clump of trees. A good thing too as the men that stepped out into the light of the new moon were not friendly. Fulton recognised their uniforms straight away as the ones his father once wore. Ex-ADF. He frowned. The men were talking animatedly amongst themselves.

"Once we get them back to the Stuart we take control of the ship as well. The government are after Lyons as well. They know he called us in to help. I think there's a bounty on his head too."

Fulton gasped quietly. Bounty hunters?

The men continued. "Cash in on the Hammersley and the Stuart. We'll be rolling in the money."

Then Fulton realised these men had some of the Hammersley men and motioned to the two Privates to move quietly to where these two had come. When they reached the spot they were shocked to find five figures they recognised surrounded by men with guns. The Hammersley men were being held hostage by the men of the Stuart? And ex-ADF? Fulton shook his head quietly. What the hell was going on here?

_

* * *

_

0617

"Fifteen minutes." Said a voice from the doorway and Nav glanced up to see ET watching her. She gave him a quizzical look and he explained. "How long you've been sitting in here staring at the bench."

"Leave me alone Josh." She returned, tired.

ET did the opposite, entering the room slowly. "Just talk to me Nikki. I can see this ordeal is taking it out of you."

"You're calling me weak now? Weak and a PMS cow. Wow, you're great with the compliments aren't you?" But the sarcasm was strained and she ended with just a quick glare in his direction before returning her eyes to the table.

"I'm not calling you weak. For God's sake Nikki, you know I don't think that."

She ignored him and pushed herself up. "I need some air." Shouldering him out of the way she headed to the starboard door and out onto the deck. Naturally, he followed. Shutting the door behind him and turning the lock, he glanced at her as she leant on the railing and stared out to the island. "I hate this place." ET said nothing, just watching her. "I never thought I'd say that about some place I barely know but it's true – I hate it. I hate what it's doing to us and what is making us become."

"It's not the island, it's the people."

She looked at him. "This is our fellow ADF you're talking about here. You're assuming that the Stuart is filled with inherently evil people hell-bent on destroying their own people. That everyone on the Kanimbla are selfish jerks."

"Well, evidently not everyone. I mean there's the Colonel, Haynes, Scruffy, they're all okay."

"That's a rather simplistic view don't you think?"

ET nodded. "Maybe." He paused. "But isn't it also, maybe, a little simplistic to think that this island is 100 responsible. Obviously the desire to succeed can only do so much to a certain person. The rest is just what's inside them."

Nav shrugged. "I guess." She smiled softly. "I still reserve the right to hate it."

"Feel free ma'am."

Nav looked at him, having calmed down, and finally asked what he had been waiting to talk about. "You went to my father before asking me."

ET looked away. "I know, I'm sorry for that. I put you in an awkward position."

"Josh, my own father isn't talking to me. He thinks I'm an idiot for not accepting your proposal."

"I wanted to do it properly. None of this 'let's get married' stuff that people do. Properly. I thought, the way we've dragged this out to breaking point, we at least deserved that."

Nav sighed. "Awkward position is the understatement of the century. You basically forced me to accept. But I couldn't do it under that type of pressure."

"I was trying to tell you that last night. I just assumed you'd say yes anyway. I know that was naïve of me but maybe hope got the better of me?" They were silent then ET bit his lip. "I'm sorry. I do understand why you hate me. But if you would say yes, I could do this properly."

Nav frowned. "What do you mean?"

ET silently held up a finger and stepped back inside the ship. 5 minutes later he returned, holding something clenched in his fist. He glanced around them, making sure they were alone, then got down on one knee. "Marry me Nikki. Please." Nav was silent, just staring at the ring in his hand. The fact he'd brought it onto the ship with him was touching. ET just felt so nervous though so he said one last thing. "No pressure. If you don't want to do it just walk away. It's alright."

Nav shook her head with a smile. "No, it's just…" She took the ring from him slowly. "This does mean I can't hate Libertile anymore." And then, with a cheeky smile, she slipped it on. It fit perfectly.

Standing quickly ET pulled her into his arms and she laughed as he did. Then, another glance around him, he kissed her softly, suddenly remembering how much he'd missed her. They'd fought about nothing for too long, but finally he'd found the perfect answer. And in his heart he knew that, whatever Libertile threw at them from now on, he could never hate the island for bringing he and Nikki back together.

**A/N: **For SA for constantly battering me about Nav and ET. There, now quiet! Lol


	35. Chapter 34: Pieces

Chapter Thirty-Four:  
Pieces

Morning had broken before Fulton opened his eyes with a flicker to the sound of voices. That night after finding the men, as well as the five figures he soon recognised as Buffer, Caesar, Dutchy, Archie and Pierce; Fulton and the others had settled down nearby for the night, taking turns to watch. It wasn't his turn to watch, but Fulton had suddenly been awoken by voices nearby. People were awake.

Rousing Simon and motioning for the other Private, Richard Aisle, to stand up, they slipped back into the trees as quietly as they could. It was a good thing too as a second later one of the bounty hunters stepped out where they had just lay.

"Nothing. You sure you heard something?" He called back to another, glancing around him.

Fulton gaped, realising they'd been heard some time during the night. He glanced at the two with him and they just shrugged. Looking back at the man he noticed him turn away but then stop as a voice called out. Fulton recognised it as Buffer's.

"Maybe it's those men Lyons was warning about." He seemed to be taunting the man.

The man let out a grunt and turned away, striding back towards Buffer's voice. Once he was gone Fulton looked at them. "We need to do something, now."

Leard frowned. "Like that? There's obviously more than enough of them to seriously outnumber us. We're weaponless and tired. They'll beat us in 5 minutes."

"Then we do something they clearly haven't done in a while. Use our heads."

* * *

Buffer had heard movement the entire night. Shifting and sudden movements that he knew hadn't been whoever was out there all the other times. These men had been quiet. Last night's noises had resembled a bull in a china shop. Whoever was out there clearly lacked the art of being subtle. But for some reason it had taken until the morning for the bounty hunters to hear them, something that made Buffer smile and decide to rally them up. He didn't care what they did to him anymore. He was leaving Libertile soon enough and all of a sudden felt like that would be the best idea.

The man that had gone scouting returned. "I don't like this. We should split them up."

Buffer frowned. "What? That's not Lyons' plan."

The man turned on him and gave him a gap-toothed grin. "We don't do what Lyons' says anymore." He ushered a man over and lifted Buffer to his feet. "You're coming with us wise-guy."

Buffer frowned back at the others who were still unconscious. Dutchy was stirring, just in time for him to be lifted to his feet as well. Glancing back at the man who had him by his vest, Buffer frowned. "So what is this? A coup?"

The man laughed, breathing disgusting breath in Buffer's face. "Something like that."

Buffer just wrinkled his nose. "Coups don't come with breath mints anymore eh?" He taunted again.

With another toothless smirk, he dragged Buffer away from the others and into the trees.

* * *

Fulton stepped out from behind the trees and into the deserted clearing. Around him a collection of belongings caught his attention, especially one that he knew he could use. He picked it up quickly and glanced around. The Hammersley men had all been dragged in different directions just a minute before, leaving the clearing empty. He'd seized his chance to enter the moment he'd seen that and had so far been rewarded for his cunning. But then voices and he ducked behind the nearest tree before he was spotted. Lucky as a second later two of the hunters walked into the clearing.

"This is getting out of hand. We need to walk out on this before it's too late."

The second man frowned. "Are you saying we bail?"

The first man nodded. "Now I say, before Lyons returns and realises what's happening."

Grabbing a bag and throwing in a few things the second man grinned. "Sounds good." Giving his mate a smile the first man just grabbed two guns from a locked box nearby and then they strode off into the trees. Once they were gone Fulton darted back to the others.

As he pulled out the device they frowned, clearly expecting a weapon. But as far as Fulton could see, this was better.

_

* * *

_

Wednesday morning  
0920

A red light lit up the sky and the crew on the bridge drew their eyes to it instinctively. A flare. A distress signal. A break-through.

It was Nav who noticed it first, glancing up from the navigation system without realising why and saw the flare. She stood and, unable to talk, just tapped the X on the shoulder. She turned, saw it, and grabbed the radio.

"Sir, we have a contact."

At the sound of that everyone else on the bridge looked up. RO, ET, Charge and Scruffy gaped in silence. A red distress flare, the kind the Hammersley carried everywhere, had gone up. It was surely a sign from Buffer.

Nav brought up the map of the island that ET had brought with him from Rembrandt. She attempted to map the area, working only on sight of where the flare had come up, and soon had an area to work with. It was just after this that the CO stepped onto the bridge. Nav turned. "They're in the north-west section of the island. We can say about here." She circled an area on the screen with her finger. It was a large area, including some of the area that the Hammersley already knew about including Villa Morte and Yurnijak. It also wasn't far from the coastline where the HMAS Stuart had stopped.

"That's great Nav." The CO commended her.

Nav just shrugged. "It wasn't me, sir. It was whoever fired that flare."

Just then the radio blared. "Fireworks displays too." The voice said. It was Price.

The CO picked up the radio. "We need to get some men out there straightaway. Whoever has Buffer and the others will have seen that too."

Price chuckled. "Mike, the people of Fiji saw that flare." He laughed again then stopped. "Alrightie, uh, I'll send you some men." Then he put down the radio with a click.

The CO just looked at Kate. "Prepare the shore search party."

* * *

"You do what?" Mike frowned.

Price's voice came through. "Sorry Mike, the men are still a bit spooked by the Jekyll incident. No one wants to go."

Mike frowned. "This isn't good enough Price." Slamming down the phone Mike looked up at Kate. "We'll have to take whoever can go. How many do we have?"

Kate counted in her head. "With the last of the army men, and if Nav and RO go, eleven."

Mike sighed. "Alright, that will have to do." He motioned to Nav and RO and they left the bridge quickly. "I'll go too. So, XO has the ship."

Kate nodded. "XO has the ship sir." Then seating herself in the captain's chair, she watched him go.

As the two RHIBs reached the beach everyone jumped out, only to be met by the sound of gunfire coming from the direction Nav had predicted the men had Buffer and the others. Around Mike many of the men frowned, but he just strode into the bush and the others followed soon enough. It took them 40 minutes to reach the place they now knew too well, the group pausing on the outskirts of the town Haynes had titled Villa Morte. The sight wasn't too different, except this time there was no one around. The town was still a mess, maybe more so than before, and bodies lay on the ground.

Swain frowned. "I thought we got rid of the Libertile men that were threatening this place?" He asked.

Mike shrugged. "There must be more."

"So, could it be them that killed the French?"

Mike glanced at him seriously. "I strongly doubt that." He looked to the others. "Lets keep going."

"Maybe we should split up?" ET suggested.

Mike nodded. "Yeah, sure. Teams of three." He suggested.

ET and Nav stayed with him. Scruffy, RO and Chisholm. Swain took Spider and Herbie. The three remaining army men Haynes, Sims and Murray, stayed together. They headed off in their different directions a minute later, drawn by the sound of gunfire to both their left and right. Haynes team stuck with Mike while the other two teams headed left. But as they reached a place they hadn't been before, Haynes took his team further to the right to the sound of a voice calling out. He said he knew it. It was one of their Privates, Leard. Mike kept straight on towards the gunfire. There they opened up to where one of the army men was facing off against an ADF man who was holding Pierce by the scruff off his neck. Almost lifted off his feet, the young man's eyes were darting between the army man and the ADF man until he noticed Mike and the others step into the open as well. The ADF man frowned and dropped his gun, outnumbered, as the army man turned with a smile. ET laughed as he realised the army man wasn't holding a gun at all. He was holding the ADF man up with a flare. He dropped it and took the gun the still laughing ET offered to him.

"Cheers. I've missed these." He said with a smile before introducing himself as Richard Aisle and explaining to Mike, as ET cuffed the ADF man and untied Pierce's hands, how Fulton had fired the flare just an hour earlier. They'd been discovered the minute they'd done it, telling the ADF men that they were from the Hammersley and had a bounty on their heads as well. The men seemed to buy it, restraining the three and splitting them up. He had been taken by this guy who turned out to be also holding Pierce hostage and, with Pierce's help, had got free to search for a weapon. Unfortunately it turned out the extent of his weaponry was another flare. So when the man returned he found himself held up by a flare. He'd grabbed Pierce for a block before pulling out a gun. And that, Aisle explained, was where they'd walked in.

ET just laughed. "Nice. A flare." He glanced at the ADF man who was just frowning. "Now that's embarrassing."

Nav smacked his arm. "Stop taunting him ET." She said, but there was a small smile on her lips as well.

Mike just looked at Aisle. "You don't know where Fulton went do you? We think we heard Private Leard a few minutes ago."

Aisle shook his head. "No, sorry. They took him that way." He pointed to their right, the direction the other two teams had gone.

Mike nodded. "Alright, well, are you good to fight?"

Aisle smiled. "Sure." He glanced at ET. "I'd like to help get this guy back to the Hammersley first though."

Mike nodded again. "Call the ship and get Rhino to bring the RHIB around to Yurnijak. I think we're pretty close here. And then come back. We'll meet you back here."

Aisle motioned to the flare he'd thrown down. "Shall I bring that?" He asked with a smile, then, helping a grinning ET, they headed to Yurnijak with their first captive.

* * *

Leard was being chased, having broken free from the man that had grabbed him, when he barrelled straight into a very familiar and friendly face. Sims gave the Private a big smile before motioning for him to follow him into the bushes. As they ducked behind a tree the ADF man ran into the trap Haynes and Murray had lay for the man. Falling spectacularly over a rope they'd tightened across the ground, his gun fell from his hand and skidded to a stop under Sims' foot. Picking it up he tossed it to Leard and the pair of them trained the guns on the man. But he didn't give up without a fight and stood up, preparing to take them. He was larger than both of them put together, but weaponless he was useless. Still, it didn't stop him advancing.

"Stop sir, we will fire." Sims warned.

The man just continued so Leard shot a warning shot at the man's feet. The bullet embedded in the ground beside his left foot but the man didn't even flinch, he just continued. It was then that Haynes and Murray stepped out from behind him.

"Sir, stop or we will fire." Haynes warned.

The man seemed surprised by the new voices and turned, looking at them. Slowly he raised his hands and dropped to his knees in surrender. Murray moved forward to restrain him, but the large man was prepared. He tackled Murray, punching him in the cheek and breaking his jaw. Murray clutched his cheek and fell away from the man, but thankfully he didn't drop his gun. Obviously this had been the ADF man's intentions so, still weaponless, he just stood and ran back into the trees. Going to Murray the others frowned.

"Bastard." Haynes glared at the man's retreating figure, but they didn't bother following. Helping Murray to his feet Haynes glanced at Sims. "Take him back to the Hammersley?" He asked of the Lance Corporal.

The man nodded and led Murray away. Then, glancing back towards where Mike and the others had disappeared, he and Leard went on their way.

* * *

The bushes moved to Mike's left as he, Nav and Pierce waited for ET and Aisle to return. But it was just Haynes with another young army man Mike guessed to be Leard. Haynes gave Mike a sheepish grin. "Murray's broken his jaw so we've sent him back to the ship with Sims."

Mike nodded. "Okay, sure. How'd that happen?"

"Another ADF brute." Leard answered, frowning around him. "What are we waiting for?"

"Aisle and ET." Nav explained.

Haynes nodded. "Sure. Well, if it's cool with you, we might head that way. I have a hunch." He smiled, heading to the right.

Mike nodded back. "Okay, sure." He let Haynes and Leard go. Ten minutes later ET and Aisle returned. "Did he go quietly?" He asked ET.

ET shook his head. "No, we had to cuff him to the RHIB. Rhino is furious, said he hates it when you do that." He chuckled. "So, where to next?"

Mike pointed to where Haynes had just disappeared. "We should go meet up with the others. Hopefully they've found someone."

ET agreed and they headed off but two minutes later their course was waylaid by the sound of voices. Two people talking in thick Australian accents. They sounded older. It wasn't hard to assume they were more bounty hunters. Ducking quietly behind a tree, Mike and the others looked around at the two men as they strode past, talking amongst themselves and seemingly oblivious to the fact that Mike and the others were there. Then one of them mentioned something that made Nav look at Mike. They mentioned Dutchy.

"Barnes wants to offload Van Gould-Cooper extra. Says the family are rich."

The second man frowned. "So what? Hostage? Extra incentive?"

The first man nodded. "That's what it sounds like. I think Barnes wants to t…" He stopped. "Did you hear that?"

Mike had. Pierce had sneezed. It wasn't loud, but in the quiet bush it was loud enough. Mike frowned as the men turned towards their hiding space and motioned for the others to creep out. In their escape Mike noticed they'd split up a little. He now couldn't see either Aisle or Nav. He swore softly to himself but continued, knowing his lieutenant wouldn't do anything stupid. Then, following ET, they left the two ADF men behind.

* * *

Nav didn't realise she'd split from the others until she looked back to find herself alone. She frowned and glanced around. Where were they? Swearing softly to herself, she slid behind the nearest tree as the voices of the two ADF men came closer. Then a yell as one of them saw something. Glancing up she noticed the figure of Aisle run off in the direction away from her, to the south. She bit her lip and hoped he would be okay, but as she looked up towards the ADF men she became worried more for herself. The one that had been left behind was looking right at her. Picking up her gun she stood up and stepped back intending to run as the man moved towards her, clearly surprised she was there. Turning and breaking into a run, Nav got a decent distance before she realised he was faster and was gaining on her quickly. Stepping aside into a bunch of trees, she watched him run past, having not seen her, and she caught her breath. Then she headed towards where she guessed the others to have gone – south. About five minutes later she thought she heard someone nearby and held her breath, hoping it wasn't the ADF man, but when she recognised the grey overalls he wore she smiled and went to him. Pierce nearly jumped a foot in the air when she stepped out in front of him.

"God ma'am, you scared me." He said with a grin.

Nav smiled. "Sorry Pierce." She looked around. "Where's the CO and ET?"

Pierce shrugged. "I lost them too." He gave a weak smile. "It wasn't the best sneak away we've ever done."

Nav nodded. "I agree." She smiled at him. "We should head south. I saw Aisle and he was b…" Her sentence was punctuated as Pierce suddenly pushed her. The navigator fell on her butt clumsily and was about to stand up and chastise Pierce for shoving when the young man's face turned white and Nav gasped just in time to see his stomach burst in a small shower of blood. He fell back as Nav turned and whipped her gun up at the ADF man that had snuck up behind her.

"Put it down sir, put it down." But on her knees she held little power. The gunshot, however, seemed to have drawn attention and ET and the CO strode from the bushes behind her. Outnumbered the ADF man put down his M16 and held up his hands. Tacking him alone, the CO forced the larger man to the ground and cuffed him. ET pulled Nav to her feet and she sighed as she looked down at Pierce. In the time they'd spent taking down the ADF man, the young sailor had died. Nav crouched down beside him and closed his eyes so he looked more peaceful. "Thanks Alex." She whispered to the Able Seaman. She glanced up at the CO as he came back with the ADF man sneering at them. "Sir, he saved my life. He pushed me out of the way so he got shot instead." She sighed and, taking ET's hand again, allowed herself to be pulled to her feet. "Let me take him back to the Hammersley."

The CO nodded and, pushing the ADF man towards ET, picked up his gun. "Take him too." He death-stared the ADF man. "Nav, Aisle is over there. He's hurt his foot but he should be fine to carry. Get him to help you take Pierce back to the RHIB. But then I need you to return as soon as possible. We still haven't seen Buffer or Dutchy."

Nav nodded then ran off. ET, grabbing the ADF man forcefully, pushed him off towards the RHIB. The CO just frowned down at Pierce and shook his head. He was their first death, but for some reason Mike believed this wasn't their last.

**A/N: **And the expected deaths begin. Lol.


	36. Chapter 35: Chances

Chapter Thirty-Five:  
Chances

_Wednesday morning  
1147_

"Caesar!"

The man turned in the grasp of the larger ex-ADF man and grinned at the sight of two very familiar faces. The ADF man, however, just sneered.

"You again?" He sneered at the smaller of the duo.

Scruffy just glared at him and clicked off the safety on her Browning. "Put the gun down, sir." She said, drawing out the sir so it sounded more like an insult than a command.

The man put Caesar down instead and turned his shotgun on the duo. "Make me." He grinned cruelly before clicking off his own safety and dancing the gun between Scruffy and Swain. Caesar, meanwhile, had raised himself to his feet.

Meeting Caesar's eye, Swain motioned with his head to Caesar's left where Spider was waiting. Caesar took the hint and started towards the Seaman. He met him a minute later and Spider cut the ropes around Caesar's wrists, handing him a handgun. "Are you okay?" He asked.

Caesar nodded. "I'm fine. I know where they took Archie. We should go after him."

Spider frowned. "Maybe we should help Swain and Scruffy first?"

Caesar frowned back at him. "You didn't hear those ADF nuts. They don't work for Lyons anymore. They're after everyone and clearly they'll do anything to get us to pay them some heed."

Spider's brow furrowed. "I don't know. Maybe we s…"

But Caesar wasn't taking no for an answer. "Fine, I'll go on my own then." Then, before Spider had a chance to reply, Caesar strode off into the bush.

* * *

"Sir, put the gun down." Swain repeated, raising his gun to aim at the man's head. The ADF man just sneered at Swain.

"What are you going to do? Shoot me? Go ahead."

Scruffy gaped. "You're mad." She stared at him in shock.

He shrugged. "Yeah, maybe I am." He stopped the gun on Scruffy and she blinked as he seemed to pick his target. "So, me or you girlie?"

"You." A voice said, stepping into the clearing. He fired on the man before he even noticed he was there. The ADF man dropped and Swain and Scruffy turned to see Sergeant Chisholm standing there. He smiled at Scruffy. "Alright love?" He asked.

Scruffy looked like she was going to hug him, but just gave him a grin as Swain patted Chisholm on the arm. But the moment was lost as Spider burst into the clearing. "Caesar's gone."

Swain frowned. "What do you mean gone?"

Scruffy frowned at him, leaning an arm against a nearby tree as she listened. "Where'd he go?" She asked.

Spider shrugged. "I don't know. He mentioned Archie and then he just ran off. He was gone before I even noticed." He gave his puppy dog face. "Sorry."

Scruffy gave him a sad smile and Swain just moved to him. "It's fine Spider. I'm sure he'll be alright." He glanced around him. "Do you have a brief idea of wher…" He stopped as Scruffy cried out.

The hand that Scruffy had been lazily resting against the tree suddenly hurt and she let out a yelp of pain. Everyone nearby looked up, just in time to see the hand of one of the ADF men wind itself around Scruffy's wrist and yank. The pull was strong, forcing the Seaman off balance. She fell, right towards the man. But Spider was quicker. Grabbing her other hand with both of his he yanked her back, side-stepping as she was pulled towards him. She fell onto Chisholm who righted her quickly before joining Spider and Swain as they went after Scruffy's attacker. The cry also seemed to have attracted the attention of others of Black Box's men in the form of Haynes and Fulton who appeared at her side, asking what had happened and glancing at the man Chisholm had shot. She explained, glancing up at the where the others had disappeared before they returned five minutes later. "Spider?" She asked, though really asking if they'd found him. But they were alone.

"Nothing. They're too damn quick." He frowned.

Scruffy just put a hand on his arm. "It's fine Spi. Hey, I owe you a few beers when we get back to shore. Nice grab. He caught me completely off guard."

Swain agreed. "Yeah, nice work Spider." The young Seaman grinned. Swain looked at Scruffy. "So it's Ragdoll Murphy now?" He smiled.

Scruffy grinned. "Yeah, sure. Scruffy is getting a bit old." She turned serious. "Did you see Caesar?"

They shook their heads before noticing Haynes and Fulton. Swain went to them and told them about Caesar's disappearance as well as the ADF man they had found that RO and Herbie had taken back to the Hammersley cuffed. According to Chisholm he hadn't even put up a fight, hence why Chisholm had returned to help Scruffy. But, unfortunately, they hadn't seen the Leading Seaman either, but they did reveal something that made Swain frown.

"After I found Fulton we saw them." Haynes explained. "Lyons and a few sailors. They were headed this way."

And without knowing why he thought it, Swain assumed the worst. The sound of gunfire confirmed it. Turning towards the sound, everyone ran.

* * *

As the others went after Scruffy's attacker, Caesar was tramping through the bush towards where he knew they had Archie. But what he had expected to find when he strayed across Archie was not to be true. Instead there were more people. One of them was Lyons.

Archie, bound and gagged, lay on the ground staring up at two young men, barely older than himself, who stood over him with their guns trained on the young sailor. Nearby Lyons stood with his gun dancing around in his hand. At first Caesar thought there was no one else, until he heard a groan and his eyes flashed to the figure at Lyons' feet that he hadn't noticed before. It was the ADF man that he'd seen dragging Archie away. He'd been shot. It wasn't hard to guess by whom, especially when the Stuart captain turned his gun back on the man.

"One day you mercenaries will learn not to mess with us." He taunted.

The man groaned again, barely forming words. "Is that su… supposed to scare me?" He struggled to form the words.

Lyons looked up, allowing Caesar to see the evil grin on his face. Lyons was mad, there was little doubt about that, but this was something else. This was outside the training manuals. This was cold-blooded murder. "I'm not here to scare you mister Anderson. I'm here to get my bounty back." Then, turning the gun on the bounty hunter's head, Lyons shot him dead.

Caesar gasped and regretted it straightaway. Lyons turned, hearing him, and pointed his gun into the trees. Caesar slinked back behind the nearest tree, regretting his impetuousness almost immediately. Lyons seemed to shrug it off and turned to the other two men. "Get Able Seaman Piote back to the ship." He waved them away and the two men, pulling Archie to his feet, dragged Caesar's crewmate away into the trees. But Lyons, glancing around him, stayed where he was. With a small smile he started to speak. "Hammersley? I know it's you lot." He turned slowly, taking in all the bushes around the tiny clearing as he spoke. "Your desperation to retrieve your men is impressive, I'll give you that, but also stupid. I'm sure you've seen now that I show no hesitation in eliminating anyone and anything in my way. You are not immune from that, bounty or not. To tell you the truth, you're all giving me the shits and I can't wait to get you out of my hair." He paused for effect and Caesar took his chance to raise him gun slowly, aiming at the still turning man. Lyons continued. "So, how many of you are out there? Six? Ten? All of you?" He sniggered at his own comment. "So who's manning your stupid little patrol boat?" He grinned. "To tell you the truth, I've never liked you patrol boat lot. You're all amazingly pretentious. 'We're protecting the economic zone' blah blah blah. Don't know what real battles are. Seen Iraq lately? Not likely. I'll tell you now, it's great. Just got back myself, last month. And now here we are, here, with you lot."

Caesar had had enough. "Patrol boats are the only real defence in the Defence Force." He yelled back.

Lyons laughed. "Yeah, sure. But you know what they say? Attack is the best form of defence." He stopped turning, raising his gun at a spot a good distance away from where Caesar hid. "So, how many of you again? Nine? Four?" He paused then turned quickly on the spot where Caesar hid. "One?" He fired. The bullet caught Caesar in the shoulder before the Leading Seaman had a chance to duck back. Giving a loud groan at the pain in his arm, he dropped his pistol from the shock. It was the chance Lyons' needed and before Caesar knew what had happened, Lyons was standing over him, kicking the gun away and grabbing Caesar by his overalls. He dragged the man back to the clearing and dumped him on the ground, but Caesar wasn't done. As Lyons leant over him to deliver the killer blow Caesar kicked out, toppling Lyons into a heap on the ground. Then, launching himself at the Stuart captain, Caesar knocked the gun from his hand and it bounced away into the bush. Punching Lyons in the face as he held him down with his shot arm, Caesar grimaced in pain at the look of shock on Lyons' face. The Stuart captain had been outsmarted. But, the shock soon wearing off, Lyons blocked Caesar's next punch and pushed Caesar off him, pressing his elbow down on Caesar's wound. Caesar gasped with pain but didn't cry out, just pushing Lyons off him with his good arm. Lyons fell to the ground and made for the gun, but again Caesar caught him with his leg and Lyons fell flat to the ground on his stomach. Turning to sit up, Caesar was grabbed around the neck from behind by the captain and stayed still, not wanting Lyons to break his neck. Lyons seemed to sense this and used it as his chance to make for the gun again, loosening one hand. Caesar grabbed his chance and, bringing his arms over his head, pried Lyons' arms off him, turned and kicked the captain in the stomach. Lyons fell back on his backside before using his own feet to knock Caesar back down again. Breathing heavily, Caesar gave up on the gun and drove himself at Lyons, aiming for his face again, determined to break his nose. But Lyons saw it coming and ducked away from Caesar, leaving the Leading Seaman to fall flat on his stomach. Slow to turn after falling, Caesar did eventually turn to the worst sight ever. Lyons had found his gun and was pointing it at Caesar's head as he sat before him. Dusting off his legs and raising himself to his feet Lyons stepped away from Caesar's legs lest the man try again to knock him down. Then, with a small smile, Lyons fired.

* * *

Swain, Spider and Chisholm broke into the clearing, their guns raised, as Caesar's figure slumped. Caught up in watching the Leading Seaman, Lyons hadn't heard them coming until they were right on top of him. But, only a second too late, there was nothing they could do for Caesar. Lyons turned on them, beaten but victorious. "I guess I come quietly?" He said with a smile. He dropped his gun and, Swain's gun trained on him, Chisholm went to Lyons and picked it up. Pocketing it, Chisholm restrained the captain and trapped his arms behind his back. But, despite being captured, Lyons smile never strayed.

Eventually Swain had had enough. "Whatever you're smug about, you have no reason to be. Your game is over Lyons. We're getting our men from your clutches and going home."

Lyons shrugged. "It's not up to me anymore I'm afraid. I fear the men I brought with me have gone a little power mad."

Swain frowned. "What?"

"I believe they call it a coup." He smiled knowing about Samaru. But Swain had had enough.

"You two take him back. I'll go find the others." He said to Chisholm and Spider. The pair nodded and grabbed Lyons, holding him. The captain, the whole time, never quite stopped grinning. "Take him back to the Hammersley. I'm sure the CO will have a few questions for him." Turning away Swain was stopped by Chisholm and glanced back to find Chisholm had stupidly left Spider to hold the captain alone. It was a mistake as Lyons had freed himself from Spider's hold and turned on the Seaman. Swain looked up to find Lyons had another trick up his sleeve. He had a knife and was hodling it to Spider's neck. Swain reacted quickly, raising his gun to Lyons face, but he was using the Seaman as a shield. "Don't move Spider." Swain requested. The Seaman listened, staying completely still. Glancing up Swain noticed something else. Chisholm had disappeared. He decided not to draw Lyons attention to that. "Lieutenant Commander, lower the knife."

Lyons shook his head. "And why would I want to do that?" He grinned and lifted Spider's flack jacket a little. He grinned. "A Seaman? Sorry about this son." He pressed the knife to Spider's throat and a small line of blood appeared. Spider's eyes went wide, assuming the worst, but before Lyons could do anything he convulsed and the knife fell from his hand. Spider's entire body shook under the weight of the man as he fell away. Swain, reached for Spider, pulled the young man back towards him, Spider bravely gathering himself and turning his own gun back on Lyons. But it was futile. Lyons had been shot in the side. Blood gushed from his stomach and he pressed his hands to it, turning white, has Chisholm strode from the trees. He'd gone around and Lyons hadn't noticed. He'd also shot Lyons in the one place he wasn't protected or would hurt Spider – under the arm he had raised to Spider's throat. He stepped over Lyons and looked down at him coldly.

"How does it feel when the roles are reversed sir?" He asked, aiming his gun at Lyons head.

"No, Chisholm, don't." Swain said, looking at the Sergeant.

Chisholm shook his head. "I wasn't going to. Only scum kill in cold blood." He picked up Lyons knife them patted him down for any more weapons. He didn't find any. Then, turning away, he left Lyons behind to die. Swain's eyes danced between Lyons and Chisholm, but in the end he too couldn't excuse what Lyons had done and knew there was nothing he could do to save Lyons anyway, so left him behind. Then, picking up Caesar's body, they headed back to the Hammersley.

* * *

Scruffy gasped at Fulton finished explaining to her about Lyons and the ADF men. "So, they've what, gone renegade?"

"Well, they were already mad." Haynes put in unhelpfully as they ran.

Scruffy shot him a smile. "Yeah, true."

"I don't know what this is all about. I mean, clearly money, but something else as well. Something we don't know about." Fulton continued.

"Something Price does." Scruffy put in.

Haynes frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Haven't you noticed he's stopped sending help for us?" She pointed out. "Captain Flynn asked him to send help for this search and he refused." She shook her head. "I don't like it."

Haynes sighed. "Look, Emma, I know your father hates him but do you really think he's hiding something from Lieutenant Commander Flynn?"

"Uh, yes Luke, I do. He's a selfish jerk who only ca…"

Fulton shushed them and pointed to something in the distance. Three figures were moving away from them, two dragging the other with them. Fulton strode forward, followed silently by Scruffy and then Haynes, as they made for the figures. The third one seemed to be putting up a decent fight and had slowed the other two down. They all looked up, including the captured figure, as another gunshot rung out. There had been one only five minutes before. This allowed Scruffy and the army men to recognise the hostage. It was Archie. Moving slowly forward, they got close enough to hear Archie talking.

"So this is how it is when you join an ANZAC is it? You go power mad? Or is it just the Stuart? The Tartan madmen?" He demanded of the man on his left. The men said nothing so Archie continued, ceasing walking until he had answers. "Lyons told you he was taking us home for our own good didn't he?" He looked now to the one on his right. "So, who just got shot?" He asked.

"That bastard Anderson." The one on his left said, but his voice was uncertain.

Archie shook his head. "He was dead when we left. Why shoot him another two times?"

Scruffy realised Archie was right and hoped to god that it was Caesar or Swain and the others shooting Lyons instead of the other way around. She glanced at Fulton as he motioned for her and Haynes to go around. She nodded and she and Haynes headed to the left. Fulton headed right. Archie, meanwhile, kept them stalling, asking them more questions. Seemingly worried Archie was right and their captain was insane, the two young men had gone silent and still. It gave Fulton and the others the chance they needed and they stepped from the bushes, surrounding the three men. Archie gave them a grin, almost as if he'd been expecting them, and shook off the men's arms. The young Stuart men seemed to know better than put up a fight and just put up their hands. Cuffing them, Haynes and Fulton led them back towards the Hammersley. Scruffy went to Archie and undid his ties. Archie shook his wrists and grinned at her. "So, not a Price fan?" He asked.

Scruffy laughed. "You heard that?"

He nodded. "That's how I knew you were coming and I stopped." He laughed. "You have to work on your subtle Seaman Murphy." Then, taking the pistol Scruffy held out to him, he followed Fulton and Haynes from the bush with a laugh.

The smiles on Archie and Scruffy's faces were lost when they reached the beach and saw the figure in Chisholm and Spider's arms as they lifted him into the RHIB. Swain was already in the RHIB, radioing to the others and the Hammersley, as Fulton and Haynes pushed their captives into the RHIB. Scruffy looked at Spider and noticed a small red gash on his neck. She frowned at him and he gave her a sad shrug as he sat down next to Chisholm. Realising there wasn't enough room for all of them in the RHIB, Scruffy and Fulton stayed behind, watching the RHIB as it headed back to the Hammersley. With a frown and a sigh she took a seat on the sand. It had been a long day and it wasn't over yet.

_

* * *

_

1351

"We have a problem." Price's voice came over the radio.

Mike picked up the radio and frowned at Kate. She shrugged. "What is it this time Steven?"

"The bounty hunters. They couldn't get your lot so they've decided on a new target – they've taken about 50 0f Lyons' lot and called in friends."

Mike frowned. "What do you mean 'called in friends'?"

Nav answered. "New contact."

Mike glanced at the radar and saw the ship. It was another Australian warship. But this time it was the…

"Childers?" Mike gasped.

"Exactly. The same group we met up. I told you they wanted in on this fight."

"Let them come in. I won't be too upset if those bounty hunters take the Stuart off our hands."

Price snorted. "Great idea Mike, but don't you have two men with them still?"

Mike frowned and chastised himself. Worrying about Caesar and Pierce he had completely forgotten about Buffer and Dutchy. "Yeah, I know." He sighed. "Maybe it's just best we let them return to Australia."

"It isn't like you to give up Mike."

"What can we do about it then Steven? Force the Childers to leave Buffer and Dutchy behind?"

"That's exactly what I was thinking." Price replied. "And I have the perfect bargaining tool. Just, give me an hour."

_

* * *

_

1413

"Lieutenant Commander Flynn?" A new voice came across the radio.

Mike picked up. "This is Mike Flynn. Who is this?"

"This is Lieutenant Commander Grey of the HMAS Childers. We've met before."

Mike nodded. He had only met Patrick Grey once, the Childers based in Darwin. Back then Grey had struck him as a pushover and now Mike guessed it was this nature that had caused him to yield to the ex-ADF men. "Yes, I know we have. This is about my men Patrick?"

"Yes, Steven Price has spoken to me. He's very persuasive. For that reason we've demanded that Trevor Barnes, the leader of the bounty hunters, leave your two men behind. If they do not, they will not be allowed on board."

"And the Stuart?" Mike asked.

"The Stuart are wanted by Canberra for charges. Their conduct means your charges have been dropped. For that reason I suggest you pick up your men and come home with us. We will be taking these men home as the fugitives they are. You, I believe, will be welcomed home as heroes."

Mike frowned. "What?" He gaped. "What's been happening in Australia while we've been away? Last week we were wanted men with bounties on our heads."

"Yes, the Stuart changed all that. Canberra have sympathised with what the Stuart have put you through as well as everything you've faced with the French and the Islanders. You're the stuff of stories back at base Mike. Because they feel responsible for sending the Stuart, they've cleared you of all charges."

Mike shook his head. Whatever Canberra's reasons, it was too late to undo the damage that had already been done. He just sighed. "Okay Patrick. Thank you. Good luck with the ADF men."

"Good luck finding your men Mike. I made Barnes promise to leave them behind. Where he'll leave them however I can't help you with."

As he went to hang up Mike recalled a question he wanted the answers to. "Patrick, what made you come around?"

Patrick Grey chuckled. "Steven Price can be very persuasive. Especially with a little friend he's nicknamed Molly." Grey hung up.

It took Mike a second to realise what Grey was talking about, and then he remembered Price mentioning he had given the Sea Sparrows names. With a small smile and a shake of his head, Mike glanced at the Kanimbla. Typical Price.

_

* * *

_

1503

"We have a problem." Price's voice came over the radio.

Mike picked it up again. "What is it this time Price? Did Molly get stuck in her launcher?" He joked.

They'd been watching the Childers for the last half an hour as she strayed off the west coast of Libertile. Just 2 minutes earlier she had started away and Mike guessed she had her men and was going home.

"Uh, no, worse. I've just spoken to Grey. The ADF men didn't take the deal. They've handed over the 50 something Stuart men, but stayed behind with your men. Grey says Barnes wants you, and he won't stop until he has you."

Mike sighed. "Great, so, now what?"

"I don't know Mike. They're outnumbered but still mad. They could do anything."

"What about the Stuart? Can we get any help from the last of them?" Mike asked.

"Not likely." Price replied. "There's only about 15 of them left, not even enough to get themselves out of here. They've called Canberra for assistance."

Mike glanced at the others on the bridge and they all looked confused about what was to happen next. Mike wasn't sure either. He knew enough about Barnes' men to know they were mad, a little suicidal and clearly desperate to get ahead. They obviously didn't know that the bounty had been removed from the head of the Hammersley. Either that or they didn't care and just wanted the Hammersley for the fun of it. With these men one couldn't be sure. But whatever they were up to, the Hammersley was in trouble.

"What can we do?" Mike asked.

"Just prepare yourselves. Man your Typhoon and guns. Keep everyone on the boat. I've got some men on here that are dying to help." And with that mysterious ending, Price hung up.

_

* * *

_

1526

"Movement." ET yelled from where he stood on the deck, binoculars to his eyes. It was enough for Swain who, standing over the Typhoon controls, slapped a hand down on the shoulder of Spider. They readied the device and it swivelled just a little to the direction ET, and RO now, was pointing. But they didn't fire. They hoped that it may be Buffer or Dutchy. But it wasn't. It was the ADF men from the Stuart.

Almost kamikaze-like, one of them ran out into the open sand to signal he was there. He was shot down quickly by the Hammersley's gun, now manned by an agitated Bomber and Scruffy. Bomber had cheered up at the mention that she'd finally get to do something relevant, but still looked grumpy. Maybe it was the knowledge that once her services were finished with she had to get back to bed.

The CO frowned. "What are they doing?" He said as another ran out only to again be shot down by Bomber's gunfire. Then ET realised.

"It's a distraction. Sir." The CO joined the two Leading Seaman on the deck to see the RHIB coming at them from around the island. Silently they had moved on the Hammersley, expecting their kamikaze act to draw the Hammersley's attention. Spider turned the Typhoon on the RHIB and fired. It flew a metre in the air before hitting the water upside-down a second later. Another minute and it would've been on them. The CO congratulated ET then turned his attention back to the island. More distraction techniques. Either they didn't know the RHIB had been lost or they were planning something else. Assuming the worst, Mike grabbed the radio.

"Price, watch for RHIBs. They're planning an assault on the ships. The beach is a distraction."

"Well, that's desperate. It's fine Mike. We have everything covered." He paused then spoke again. "Put your guns away. We'll take this next wave."

Unsure why he took the chance, he ordered Nav to step down the gun. Spider pushed away from the Typhoon. Just as they did, a small group of heavily armoured individuals burst on the beach, not where the first group had been but further down. They didn't meet any gunfire. They stopped, confused. Then, almost out from underneath them, the sand rose. Throats were cut and a man was captured before they knew what was happening. The sand then dragged their captured man back into the trees. They were gone before Mike even knew what had happened. And then Price's voice came through the radio.

"Thank you Mike. Please, go back to your firing."

But the capture seemed to have spooked Barnes and nothing more came.

Then, in his own special way, Spider summed up the situation. "What the hell was that?"

**A/N: **Lol. I had to bring the Childers back. I'm just surprised no one brought up Price's comment about the Childers last time we saw it…

That's the last of the Stuart and the last of Caesar. And the last of the ADF? Maybe, so, who's next? And where is Buffer and Dutchy?


	37. Chapter 36: The Name Alone

Chapter Thirty-Six:  
The Name Alone

_1603_

"Third time's a charm?" Nav gave RO a big smile. RO restrained from rolling his eyes at his superior officer. She just looked back at her screen with a grin as he tried the radio again.

"Kanimbla, 51. This is Hammersley, 82. Please respond."

Nothing. RO groaned. "Why is it that it's easier to talk to the mainland when they're only 2 minutes away?" He asked exasperated, motioning to the big ship beside them.

"Unless they don't want to hear it?" Nav said with a small smile, raising her eyebrows.

"That's what I was thinking." A voice said from the top of the stairs. The pair turned to find Mike standing at the top of the stairs. "We'll have to do something else."

Charge got a small smile across his face as he looked up from the corner. "You aren't?"

Nav grinned. "Sir?" He nodded. She grabbed the radio. "Prepare the RHIB."

* * *

Mike's welcome was about as resounding as he had expected, being met only by a young Able Seaman who told him he couldn't see the captain right now and should come back later.

"He told you to say that didn't he?" He asked. The Able Seaman finally nodded, looking gloomy as he did. Mike nodded. "I have to talk to him about this morning."

The young man gave him a blank look that only confirmed what Mike had thought – Price had never even asked his crew to help them retrieve their men. "If you would like to…"

Mike cut him off. "He's in his cabin?"

The young man nodded again. "Yes sir."

So, pushing past the sailor, Mike headed straight for the CO's cabin. Reaching the door he barely knocked, just pushing it open with brute force. Price was on the phone and he stopped mid conversation when he saw Mike.

"… and you can tell them that while they're in Australian waters I can't ensure that they will not be disturbed by people like Mike…" He stopped as his eyes fell on Mike. "Flynn." He gave Mike a frown and continued. "Let me call you back sir. Yes, it is. Immediately. Okay." He hung up. "Hello again Mike." He gave him a big fake smile. Mike felt sick. Price turned on the Able Seaman that had followed Mike to the door. "Marsh, toilet duties." The young man slumped off.

"Don't punish him for your own mistakes Price." Mike said, shutting the cabin door behind him as he stepped inside. "You told your crew not to answer my calls?"

"I'm a busy man Mike. It isn't personal."

Mike scoffed. "Not too busy to chat to Canberra I see. Who was that then?"

"Captain Archer. He wants you home now."

"I gathered as much." Mike snorted. "So he can what? See how my men are?"

Price stood. "Maybe that's true. You think Canberra doesn't feel bad about sending the Stuart?"

"I think Canberra doesn't feel anything."

Price pushed past Mike and opened his cabin door, heading out and assuming Mike would follow. He did. They started back to the deck. "The men of the Stuart will reach the mainland in a few hours. There they'll be trialled. I assure you that someone will be held responsible for this."

"Like who? A Seaman? No one will pay for this Price."

Price stopped and turned on him. "Don't make this a moral crusade Mike. You'll only end up getting yourself and your men killed."

"Two of my men are already dead Price, thanks to being outnumbered. You said you'd send us men but you never even asked your men did you?"

Price sighed. "I do what's best for my men Mike. There's… there's someone out there that not even I am safe from." He turned cheeky again as he pushed open the door to the deck and they stepped out. "Anyway, turns out the Stuart needs a tug. They've done something to the ship. The Tobruk will be here in seven days to take them home." He grinned. "Stupid Stuart."

Mike frowned. "Don't brush over this Price. What do you mean 'someone out there'? What are you hiding from us?"

Price shook his head. "Nothing. Go back to your men Mike, I have things to do." Then, stepping back inside, Price shut the door in Mike's face.

_

* * *

_

1605

"Afternoon Hammersley." A deep, booming voice came over the radio and two of the three women on the bridge grinned. The X picked up the radio before RO could get it.

"Hello Brian." She grinned. "How are you?"

Rembrandt chuckled. "I will be fabulous if you can tell me you're now packing up, saying your goodbyes to the islanders and coming home."

Kate's smile fell. "I'm afraid I can't. We still have two men out on that island."

"Two of my boys or yours?"

"They're two of ours Rembrandt, don't worry. We got all of Black Box's men back now. It's Able Seaman Van Gould-Cooper and Petty Officer Tomaszewski."

"Tomaszewski. That's Buffer right? Oh dear, I won't have him answering my calls."

Kate gave a small smile. "Not right now, no." She paused. "Actually, why aren't you on the phone?"

"They've lifted the communications ban on you guys. Now I can call any time of the day or radio you lot."

"So, you're checking up on us?" Kate smiled.

"Absolutely love. Gathering information to use against you later."

At the thought of this Kate turned serious. "Brian, what have you heard around base about us?"

Rembrandt paused, gathering what he had to say. "Bounty hunters. Canberra hates themselves and has stepped down charges against you. You took down Lyons and the Stuart."

"All true." Kate confirmed. "But anything else? Any rumours?"

"You deal in rumours now Katie?"

Kate frowned. "Right now I'm inclined to believe anything."

"Mmmm." Rembrandt murmured. Then he continued. "The Tobruk is headed your way, should be there in seven days. That has been confirmed. They say it's to take control and help the Stuart, but there's always something else." Kate nodded to herself. They'd expected more Canberra intervention. But Rembrandt wasn't done. "There's a rumour that there's someone else. Someone already there. Someone that wants you out of there. They say it's the real reason Canberra are so determined to get you out now. Why they dropped the charges."

"What?" Kate gaped. "Like who?"

"They're just rumours Katie. Bored Seaman tales."

"Rembrandt, please." Kate said, searching for answers.

"They're saying… oh god this is stupid… they're saying that they're A…"

Rembrandt's transmission was blanketed by another transmission and Kate stared at the radio, searching for answers, until the voice came across. "Hammersley, this is Trevor Barnes. I want to talk to Mike Flynn."

"Ma'am." ET said from the EOD. Kate glanced at it. It was Trevor Barnes, finally a face to the name, with a hostage. He had Dutchy by his neck, his arm wrapped around like he would snap the young sailor's neck at any second.

Kate answered him slowly. "Mister Barnes, this is Executive Officer of the Hammersley Lieutenant Kate McGregor."

Barnes laughed, speaking into a radio he'd obviously stolen from one of their crew. "The beautiful X. It's a pleasure ma'am. But I want Mike."

"He's not here at the moment. You'll have to talk to me for now."

"Alas I do not have the time to wait for Mike. So, I guess, I'll deal with you then."

"Yes, you will." Kate answered, still watching him on the EOD as he spoke.

"Good. Then, if you want Mister Van Gould-Cooper here to survive this, you will meet me here on the shore as soon as possible."

Kate paused then realised what she had to do. "Okay." She looked at Nav. "Prepare the second RHIB."

"X, I don…" Nav started, but the X cut her off.

"Nav, prepare the RHIB now please." Then she left the bridge, leaving Nav frowning at her back.

* * *

The RHIB bounced a little, causing Kate to grab hold of the seat in front of her, as they reached the shore. Giving the RHIB driver, Leading Seaman David 'Charlie' Chaplain, a small smile she got out slowly, being watched the entire time by the man on the edge of the beach. Instinctively she glanced back at the Hammersley, then at the Kanimbla. On the deck of the Kanimbla she could see three men she recognised as Mike, Price and Rhino. Mike and Price looked deep in discussion, Rhino simply watching on.

Tearing her eyes from them Kate looked back at the man then strode towards him, her Browning clutched in her right hand as she limped slightly, finally stopping and resting on her good foot as she got to him. "Mister Barnes."

Trevor Barnes gave her a big, dare she think it unnerving, smile. "Please Kate, call me Trevor. We're all friends here."

"On that front I fear you are mistaken Mister Barnes." Kate restrained from growling at him. "You may call me Lieutenant McGregor."

He shrugged. "Fine. But I prefer Kate." He glanced at Dutchy, who was no longer struggling in his hold. Evidently the young man had realized that such a hold could render him dead in seconds. Barnes seemed to follow Kate's eyes. "Now, about Mister Van Gould-Cooper here."

Kate spoke to her crewmate. "Are you okay Dutchy?"

He gave a weak smile. "I'm fine ma'am. You shouldn't've come."

"Don't tell me how to do my job Ryan." She said sternly and Dutchy's eyes went to the ground. Kate looked back at Barnes. "Why did you want to see me?"

"I want you to know how well I'm treating your men." He gave a smile. "And how upset I am about how you've treated mine. Especially this afternoon."

Kate frowned at him. "You don't have any men left, do you?"

Barnes smiled still, his smile making Kate look away. "If I told you that I'd be giving away my upper-hand." He looked at Dutchy. "But, I was also hoping for a deal. You know I have your Petty Officer as well, right?"

Kate nodded. "We do." She narrowed her eyes. "Are you about to propose something? Because if you are, I'm walking away from you."

Barnes looked impressed. "Yes, but if you walk away from me than I'll kill this young man here."

Kate just moved her Browning just a little to show him. "Remove Dutchy and you'll be left unguarded. If I don't shoot you myself, the Hammersley's Typhoon will."

Barnes chuckled. "Gee the Navy is trigger-happy these days. Back in my day we sorted things out with other methods."

"Like words? Isn't that what we're doing now Barnes? Sorting things out with words."

Barnes smiled. "You're from an older school than the others Lieutenant McGregor. I like you." Kate's facial expression didn't change. He continued. "So, I'll give you some information in exchange for information."

"What would we need from you?" Kate asked frowning at him.

"The name of the men in there." He thumbed back to the trees. "Who else is out there."

Kate narrowed her eyes. "What do you know?"

Barnes smiled. "We've all heard them ma'am. The whispers in the dark. The movement of the trees. They're out there and they're worse than you want to know." He breathed deeply. "Which is why your support will be appreciated, so I can go home with my bounty." He gave a small movement that indicated he was talking about Dutchy.

Kate frowned. "The charges have been dropped against us. There is no longer a bounty on our heads."

Barnes didn't look shocked. "I know, Grey told me. But this one here is worth more than that. Aren't you son?" He sneered at Dutchy.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Dutchy replied, looking away from him.

"I'm afraid I don't quite understand either Barnes." Kate answered as well.

Barnes smiled. "The Van Gould-Coopers are a well-off family I have heard. Their son the richest of them all."

Kate nodded. "That may be true Barnes, I believe Ryan here is stable. However if you attempt to hold him hostage you will be disappointed. His lifestyle comes from the fact that all his relatives have passed on. All the money in the Van Gould-Cooper family is due to this and nothing else. He has no one to pay you any ransom money." She gave Dutchy a sad look. "I am correct aren't I Ryan?"

Dutchy sighed. "She's right. My parents died last May."

Barnes frowned. "The joys of using old records. Looks like he's disposable then." He looked about ready to kill Dutchy then and there but Kate spoke.

"I have a deal for you. Take me and let Dutchy go."

Barnes smiled. "The daughter of a single mother? What would you be worth?"

"My father is a wealthy Englishman. My mother will contact him and they will pay the ransom. You may not get as much as you would from Dutchy, but you will get something."

Barnes took a minute to think about it. "Alright then." He motioned to the gun. "Throw it away and then I'll let Dutchy go."

"Let him go first."

"Now if I do that the Typhoon will fire on me, right?"

Kate glanced back at the Hammersley to find the first RHIB being raised. Mike was back on board. She looked back at Barnes. "Okay." She threw the gun far away from her then strode towards him. As she reached him another figure jumped from the bush behind her and pulled her arms behind her back. She squirmed but then stopped, staring at Barnes, as he still hadn't let Dutchy go. "Fulfil the deal Barnes."

Barnes smiled. "Of course." He pushed Dutchy away from him and she saw he was still tied up, unable to grab the gun. As he did he pulled Kate to him as a shield. He grinned and looked up at Dutchy as he turned and looked back at the X. "Now ma'am. You and me have some information to change hands."

Kate looked at Dutchy. "Get out of here Ryan. Get back to the Hammersley." Dutchy faltered, looking at her, but she waved him away with her eyes and he ran to the RHIB. Kate watched it start to pull away just as Barnes and the other one dragged her back into the bushes behind them. A second later her comforting view of the Hammersley was lost.

* * *

Mike's arrival back on the bridge of the Hammersley wasn't what he had expected. Rather than the usual peace of the place he was met with utter confusion. ET was bent over the Typhoon, glaring at the EOD. Nav was on the deck with the binoculars to her eyes, frowning. RO was talking loudly on the radio with Charlie who, it appeared, was in the second RHIB. Finally Mike looked up from the bridge and to the island where everyone's eyes were trained. He gasped when he realised what was happening. There was Kate standing across from Dutchy and a man Mike guessed was Trevor Barnes. He watched as Kate walked towards him after throwing away her gun then be grabbed by someone hiding nearby. He gasped as her arms were pulled behind her back and he watched her flinch as she leant on her sprained ankle. He frowned and looked at Nav who had just come back inside.

"What the hell is going on here?"

Nav frowned. "Sir, Barnes called on the radio just after you left. He wanted to talk to you. The X took the call instead and opted to go down and meet him."

"Why didn't anyone tell me?" Mike fumed.

Nav faltered. "Uh, we couldn't reach you. The Kanimbla still aren't answering our calls."

Mike glanced up as the RHIB pulled away from the island, minus Kate, and headed back towards them. He glared at Nav. "This isn't good enough Nav. I am holding you partly responsible for this." He turned and walked away from her, back to the deck to meet the RHIB.

Nav gaped, her eyes filling with tears. She'd never been told off like that by the CO. ET seemed to realise and went to her, but pushing him away Nav left the bridge quickly.

Someone was whistling in the kitchen as Nav made for her little cabin and she ignored it, trying to get away without being disturbed, but she was spotted. It was Bomber and she was hanging around the door deep in conversation with a bored-looking Princess. She frowned at Nav and stepped out in front of her to stop her. "Nav, what's wrong?"

Nav sighed. "It's nothing, just, I stuffed up."

Princess came to the door. "What are you talking about ma'am? You never stuff up." She frowned at Nav. Able Seaman Leann 'Princess' Smith was the ship's Combat Systems Operator and the only other female on the ship. Like the other women on board she got on well with the boys, but when you're outnumbered 5 to 1 there's times you just want to talk to other women. Every so often Princess would join in on one of she and Nav's conversations, but she and Bomber were closer as they were the same rank and Princess worked closely with RO.

Nav smiled at Princess. "Thanks but we both know that's not true." She sighed. "The X went out to meet Barnes and the CO is blaming me for not stopping her."

Bomber gaped. "What? A brick wall can't stop the X when she wants to do something. The CO must know that!"

Nav gave a small smile. "Yeah. Still…"

Princess shook her head. "You couldn't've stopped her. You couldn't pull rank on her or anything. She was in charge while the CO was away. It was her choice." She patted Nav on the shoulder. "Look, cheer up, the CO was probably just in a bad mood. From what I've heard about Price I would be too." She gave Nav a smile and went back to cooking dinner.

Bomber and Nav continued down the hall. "Cheer up Nav. You've been in a good mood all day for the first time ever…" Bomber started with a grin that was met with a comical death-stare from Nav. "Oh come on, tell me I'm not right."

Nav grinned. "You are." She fished into her pocket and pulled out something she'd held in her pocket with a safety pin. "ET gave me this this morning."

Bomber's jaw dropped. "He didn't!"

Nav nodded. "He did. I mean, he did again." She gave a small shrug. "Long story."

"But the short version is…" Bomber prompted, coming to a stop.

"He asked my dad for my hand in marriage. It was my baby brother's 21st birthday a few weeks ago and apparently dad told him to ask me then. In the middle of the party he just got down on one knee and proposed." She sighed. "I had to say no."

Bomber nodded slowly. "Of course you did." Nav gave her a look and she shook her head with a confused look on her face. "What the hell Nav?"

Nav laughed at her friend's expression. "You don't get it Bomber. It was so… traditional. My family are Italian. Everything we do has something to do with some stupid tradition. Nothing is ever by choice. When I joined the Navy I messed with that tradition. And ever since then I've hated tradition. And then he just goes and does this. The big Italian proposal. In front of relatives I don't even the name of!" She exclaimed causing Bomber to grin widely and snicker. "It was embarrassing."

"And saying no was less embarrassing?" Bomber asked, tipping her head a little.

Nav sighed. "I took control of the situation. I took my engagement away from my father and regained it as mine. You don't know what that's like."

Bomber smiled. "Yeah, I get it." She looked at the ring. "It's nice. Congratulations Nav."

Nav grinned. "Thanks Bomber." She pinned the ring back inside her pocket just as ET rounded a corner behind them. Bomber noticed him and gave him a smile before casting Nav an 'I'm out of here' look and heading back to the galley. Nav then realised ET was there. "Oh, hey."

ET frowned. "Are you okay Nikki? What the CO said up there was too far."

Nav sighed. "Yeah, well, maybe." She smiled at him. "Thanks for coming to see if I was okay."

ET smiled and touched her arm. "Anytime Nav." Then ET headed back to the bridge. Watching him go Nav smiled after him then followed him back.

* * *

As Mike got the story of what had happened from Dutchy, the young man shaking and recieveing a check-up from Swain as he did, Kate was being reunited with a friend.

"X?" Buffer asked as she was pushed towards him by Barnes and the other man with him. "What are you doing here ma'am?"

The X frowned as she had her hands tied behind her back. "I swapped myself for Dutchy. I think he's had enough of this man." She motioned to a stupidly grinning Barnes with her head.

Buffer smiled. "That's very selfless of you ma'am. What did the boss think of that though?"

The X shrugged. "So, he doesn't know." She smiled sheepishly. "He was with Price."

Buffer shook his head. "Better you than me ma'am." He put out his arms, breaking her fall as Barnes roughly shoved her down. She pulled a face as she turned on her sore ankle, but Buffer's arms stopped her from hitting the tree behind her. She gave him an appreciative smile then looked back at Barnes.

"I believe we had an information deal Barnes."

Barnes nodded. "We did. Tell me first, are Canberra sending any more ships?"

Kate nodded back. "The Tobruk will be here in seven days. Why?"

Barnes smiled. "That's for me to know and for you to find out." He glanced at the other man and he walked off into the bushes. "Now, these men in here with us."

Kate frowned. "Yes? Who are they?"

Barnes crossed his arms. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

Kate growled at him. "Tell me."

Barnes smiled and then, without a moment's hesitation, muttered a single word. Both Buffer and Kate gaped.

The X gasped. "No, it can't be…"


	38. Chapter 37: BenHur

Chapter Thirty-Seven:  
Ben Hur

Unsurprisingly, the ADF men they had captured had nothing to say about their leader and where he would have taken Buffer and the X, so, as Mike retired to his cabin on Wednesday night he felt just as useless as ever before. The evening had been spent snapping at everyone that walked past him, from Nav to RO for not taking the call himself. It was stupid as he'd left the X as CO while he was at the Kanimbla, but it was easier to blame everyone else than to admit he knew perfectly well it was no one's fault. Just, he felt so useless with Kate being held as Barnes' captive. It was worse than any other time. He didn't know what Barnes was capable of. He didn't know his enemy.

But, realising he'd never get to sleep without apologizing to his crew, he went to the bridge and called on everyone he'd wronged that afternoon. Ten minutes later they stood before him, looking tired and worried he would snap again. Instead he just sighed. "I'm sorry for this afternoon and evening. It was wrong of me to blame the rest of you. The X made her own decisions and they aren't yours to burden."

Nav broke into a smile. "Thank you sir."

The CO looked at her. "Nav, I'm sorry for snapping at you." He looked at RO and Dutchy who'd also been burdened with his bad mood. "You two as well. You did the right thing, listening to the X, and you shouldn't be punished for that." The two men just nodded.

Nav stepped forward. "No you're listening to us again, sir." She smiled, failing to keep the insult from her voice. Mike took it. He deserved it. "I was wondering if you think we should interview the two men from the Stuart that the army men captured."

Mike nearly smacked himself in the head. He had forgotten about them. He grinned at Nav. "I think that's a brilliant idea. But maybe it should wait till morning."

Nav nodded, beaming again. "Yes sir." Then she went back to her seat at the navigation controls, failing to cover a smile. The two men went back to bed, yawning widely as they left. Then, glancing at Nav with a smile, he left the bridge.

"Navigator has the ship."

Nav glanced at him. "Navigator has the ship sir."

* * *

As the Hammersley crew were settling down to sleep, Kate was still wide-awake, staring into the trees. Now she knew what was out there she was more scared than ever to sleep. They were worse than anything she could've imagined.

When Barnes had first uttered their name she'd gasped, worried, but then he'd elaborated. They were more than usual. They were special operations. They were well trained. They were killers. They were heavily armed. And worst of all, they clearly didn't want the Australians there.

Barnes had seemed amused by the looks on she and Buffer's faces as he'd told them, as if he was surprised they hadn't guessed it before. "You really think they can avoid a good fight? Especially one with uranium involved. Uranium, the core of nuclear, is the most valuable substance these days. More than oil, more than diamonds or gold. Forget Texas tea. Green gold they call it. Green gold. The most valuable substance in the world, sitting here under all these trees and natives. It's basically crying for their involvement – to 'free' these people." He laughed heartily. "Have to say, never trusted that county."

"They want us out of here, to get that uranium?" Buffer asked.

Barnes had nodded, still grinning. "Absolutely. And you know that lot. Kill first, ask questions later. Just ask the French and the Islanders. Yeah, we heard about it."

Kate frowned. "The islanders?"

Barnes grinned. "Favourite little trick of these guys. Mimicking locals."

Kate had then realised. "Villa Morte!" She looked at Buffer. "That wasn't the islanders?"

Barnes shook his head. "I checked out Villa Morte, or whatever you call it, myself. Not islander method. Too clean. Too perfect. It's definitely them. Fooled you didn't they?"

After that Barnes, smug and superior, had shut up, refusing to answer any more questions. Buffer believed he didn't know anymore, but either way he knew more than they did. Kate frowned. All the time they had spent on the island, had they been too involved in self-preservation to notice all the clues. Why had Barnes, who'd been here a lot less than they had, seen them all?

But that had been hours ago. Now, bats flying overhead, Kate was scared to sleep. They were out there, likely not sleeping themselves, maybe watching them. They wanted the Australians out of here. Would they really kill them to achieve that? Would they go that f…

"X?" A voice nearby asked.

It was Buffer.

The pair had been tied around a tree, with the trunk between them, to ensure they couldn't untie each other and escape. Nearby Barnes and the other ADF man were fast asleep, they not burdened by a possible death at the hands of…

"X, are you awake?" Buffer asked again.

Kate realised she hadn't answered him. "Yeah, Buff, I am." She turned but couldn't see him. "What's wrong?"

"About what Barnes said. Who's out there. Do you think he's lying?"

Kate frowned. "I don't think he has any reason to. He could have told us nothing. His explanation just seems to make sense."

"Yeah, but, they're allies!" Buffer exclaimed, clearly struggling to comprehend the new enemy.

"So are the French." Kate pointed out.

Buffer sighed loudly. "True." He was silent for a minute then continued. "Assuming Barnes is right, and it is them, we're screwed. We can't fight them off like the French. They're special ops."

"I know." She frowned at the figure of Barnes. "Why do you think he wants us?"

"The bounty? Hostages? My father is a wealthy property developer and your father is wealthy as well."

Kate shook her head though he couldn't see it. "No, it's more than that. It's to do with the Tobruk, that's why he asked about it."

"Whatever he does, I know he doesn't intend for us to come of this alive."

"Why do you say that?" Kate asked, confused.

"Something I heard the second night we were in their custody. Barnes was talking to Lyons, Lyons ribbing him about his dead son and wife. Barnes doesn't have anyone and he hates people that do. He told Lyons that he wanted to teach the world a lesson, that's why he's here. To show people they should never underestimate the old guy."

Kate frowned. "What? He's mad."

"Preaching to the converted here ma'am." Buffer said, the smallest smile evident in his voice. Looking at Barnes Kate frowned. There was much more to Barnes than just madness… but what?

_

* * *

_

Thursday morning  
0720

Mike put the two plates of food in front of the young men. Swain sat down across from them, watching as the men eyed the food warily then picked up their forks.

"We didn't poison it, if you're wondering. We're not the enemy here, we're apparently on the same side." Mike glared at the men, both of them cowering slightly.

They were both only young. Both Able Seamen. One, the gangly red-haired one, turned out to be Lincoln 'Platters' Stone, a Steward. The other, a little older than Platters, was Garth 'Budgie' Wright. He was a Bosun's Mate. They both wore tired looks and neither met Mike's eyes as he spoke to them. Earlier Swain had got their details out of them, after much convincing them at Lyons really was dead, and now was Mike's turn.

"We need to know what you know about Trevor Barnes, the head of the bounty hunters."

Budgie looked at Platters and finally the man gave in. "What do you need to know?"

"Where he'd go with the hostages. What he intends to do with them."

Budgie spoke up. "We don't know where he'd go. He's erratic. A loony." He paused. "As for the hostages, they're trade."

Mike frowned. "What?"

Budgie continued. "He never intended to hand your men in for bounty. We heard him talking about it after Lyons left for bed most nights. We'd be on the bridge, just talking to some others, and Barnes would come up with his slimy sidekick Hunter. The man looks like a frog."

Mike recognised the description and realised it was the man that had grabbed Kate the afternoon before. "Yes, what would he say?"

"He'd say that if it were up to him we'd all be taught a lesson, but unfortunately for him we were protected by Lyons. Said he couldn't wait to get his hands on some of your men so he could fulfil his wish."

Mike frowned, not quite understanding. "What wish?"

Platters answered. "He's power hungry. Wants to use people to buy power. Buy his way into things. Thinks that the only way to succeed is in politics where he can build a portfolio, maybe one day control defence."

Mike finally got it. "He's using them." He nodded. "I get it."

Swain looked at Mike. "I'm glad you do sir because I don't."

The two young Stuart men looked up at Mike and he gave Swain a small smile. "Let me explain it better." He glanced at the men. "Correct me if I get anything wrong."

"Sir." Budgie replied.

Mike launched into what he had been waiting for someone to do. "Over the last few years the ADF have made a lot of enemies, particularly amongst those who oppose the war in Iraq. Unfortunately too many people strongly affiliate the Defence Force with the war rather than the defence area of the sector. Too many people who hate the war now hate us and the people who send us to war. I believe most of them do actually understand that we, as people, are not the enemy, but there will always be those that hate us."

Swain gasped. "You aren't saying they're going to use the X and Buffer as martyrs are you?"

"Not in the physical sense, no, however I can expect Barnes to use them as psychological martyrs. Imagine this – a man comes home from a tiny little war that people know little about. He has between him two high-ranking officers, both from wealthy families and with decent educations. All he needs to say is that he found these two terrorising the poor, innocent people of Libertile to gain support amongst those who hate the ADF. He will become their leader. Maybe one day soon run for politics and get in."

Swain frowned. "But then what? Surely the X and Buffer will be freed?"

Mike sighed. "I don't think they will, no. Unfortunately they will know the truth about Barnes and why he was at Libertile. They will be disposed of as soon as their purpose is done. Barnes will gain supporters as the years wear on and we find ourselves in more useless wars killing more innocent civilians."

Swain shook his head. "How could he? Who would vote for him?"

"One of the suburbs of the major cities' south and west. These areas are poor and unfortunately lacking in many amenities most take for granted. They lack proper school and proper homes. As far as they can see, and with reason, too much money is getting pumped into war that could be pumped into their communities. They feel abandoned by the government. Even the current Labor one has let them down. They hate voting because they know that whoever gets in will not represent them. Unless – then someone like Barnes comes along and hey presto, they have a new visionary. Someone who gets it, or at least looks like he does." Mike looked at the Stuart men. "Is that about right?"

They both nodded. Swain just shook his head. "That's mad."

Mike nodded back. "Yes, but power mad, and apparently in society today that type of mad is perfectly acceptable."

* * *

A hand clamped over Kate's mouth and her eyes snapped open, not realising she had eventually fallen asleep during the night. Eyes wide she looked up at the face belonging to the hand. It was Barnes and his eyes were wide too, looking around him. He noticed Kate's stare and glanced at her, putting a sole finger to his lips to suggest she be quiet. He slowly removed the hand on her mouth, but Kate didn't even breathe. Barnes looked scared. Very scared. He stepped back from her then reached into the back of his worn jeans, pulling out a Browning that Kate recognised as her own. He checked the chamber and frowned. It was only half loaded, holding only 4 19mm NATO-issue bullets. He deflated, frowning at it, then clicked it back. Then, raising it slowly, he pointed the gun at the bushes to Kate's left. She snapped her head left at the sound of a bush moving. Someone or something was out there. Barnes' head moved towards the sound, his eyes narrowing at a spot in the distance. Then, another movement, this time to Kate's right. She gasped. They were surrounded. She took a deep breath, having just realised she wasn't breathing, and closed her eyes. This was it, it was over, it was the end for h…

Kate's eyes snapped open again at the sound of gunfire, just one shot, but it was enough. She watched Barnes' head snap back in an explosion of blood. The back of his head exploded, splattering Kate with his blood and brains, and Kate squeezed her eyes shut no longer wanting to look. Then, sensing he had crumbled to the ground, she opened her eyes again. There was Barnes, a mess on the ground, his face no longer recognizable, and standing over him two men head to toe in combat gear. Their faces hidden by masks, they looked like huge, dangerous praying mantis. All green and with masks so dark that Kate could only see her own bloody and scared face staring back. The first man glanced at the second then passed Kate headed for Buffer she guessed. Finally regaining her voice, she looked at the man before her.

"We know who you are. Why are you here?" She said, sounding tougher than she felt.

He was quiet for a minute then ripped off his helmet. Were he not the enemy she would say he was a handsome young man. Spiked-up black hair and big green eyes, he looked barely older than 28. He did however, Kate noticed, rank above her. Glancing at his shoulders she recognised the symbols. He was a Captain. He came to her, crouching down beside her, then cut her ropes. Then, offering her a hand, he pulled her to her feet.

"And I know who you are Lieutenant McGregor." He didn't remove his gun from his side as he assessed her wrists. They were marked from the tight ropes, but on the whole they were fine. "I'm Captain Hornet. That's all you need to know about me."

Kate glanced around her and realised Buffer was gone. She frowned at the Captain. "Where's Petty Officer Tomaszewski."

Captain Hornet shook his head. "It doesn't matter."

Kate narrowed her eyes at him. "Of course it matters. If you're going to kill us the least you could do is let me see him."

"I'm not going to kill you." He fished something out of his pocket. A small phial, holding what appeared to be water. "But I do want you to drink this." He pushed it into her hand.

Kate stared at it. "And what if I don't?"

Captain Hornet sighed. "Then I will have to kill you." He said, no emotion on his face. Kate bit her lip then nodded, unscrewing the lid and holding the phial to her mouth. He watched her the whole time then caught as she collapsed, laying her down slowly. As he'd expected she's been knocked out as soon as she'd consumed the drink. Then, leaving her there, the Captain left.

* * *

"Do the words 'running blind' come to mind?" Haynes asked with a grin.

This four-man team, only half of the boarding party that the CO had led out in a desperate search for the insane Barnes, headed west. Chisholm looked at Haynes. "See Luke, this is why you're still a Corporal and he's a Lieutenant Commander." He teased. Haynes ignored him.

Spider and Scruffy, who were walking behind, just snickered at the look on Haynes' face. Chisholm grinned back at them.

Eventually they came to a stop in a random clearing, grabbing water. It was a stinking hot day, at least 35 degrees, but there was no safety from it under the trees. The heat was humidity. Spider wiped some sweat off his forehead and sat down on a log, looking stuffed. Suited up in their shore search gear, they were dying underneath. Thankfully they had packed enough water to last them a week. Not that it mattered. Pouring one over his head, Chisholm was now down to three bottles.

"Heat too much for you old man?" Haynes teased.

Chisholm stared at him. "Don't talk to your senior like that." He requested, but it was half-hearted. Rank didn't matter to anyone anymore. And dying from the heat meant they cared even less now.

"Sorry sir." He gave his senior a half-asses Army salute. Chisholm laughed, but stopped at the sound of someone to their left. All of their turned their attention on a sole figure in the distance, stumbling towards them. They turned their guns on it but then Scruffy shrieked. "Kate!"

She ran forward just as the X collapsed. Scruffy held her cousin to her feet then looked back at the others. "Help?" She asked them.

Haynes and Chisholm rushed forward, taking the X out of Scruffy's arms. She started to wake, her eyes darting before stopping on Emma. "Emma?" She asked.

Scruffy grinned. "Yes ma'am. Are you okay ma'am?"

The X nodded. "Yeah, I just… my head hurts." She squeezed her eyes shut as if the light hurt them. "Where are we?"

Scruffy frowned. "Uh, about 5 kilometres from the beach."

Kate looked at her. "We're on Libertile? The last thing I remember is talking to your father."

Scruffy glanced at Haynes who shrugged. "Ma'am, that was hours ago. That was yesterday afternoon." She checked her watch. "It's 1100, Thursday."

The X shook her head. "No, no it isn't." She opened her eyes. "Is the CO back from seeing Price yet?"

Scruffy looked distraught so Haynes led her away, giving her some breathing space. Sitting the X down Chisholm got onto the radio to Mike and Swain. Mike was ecstatic, but his tone changed when he heard about the X's condition. Swain explained it could be stress but he'd have to see her when they got back to the ship. Chisholm said they'd take her back straightaway. As he got off the radio he looked at Spider who was watching the X with wide eyes.

"You alright son?" He asked the Seaman.

Spider nodded. "Yeah, just, I've never seen her like this. She looks so confused. And she hasn't even mentioned Buffer."

Chisholm understood. "I'm sure you're friend will be alright." She smacked Spider on the shoulder assuringly then called Haynes back. Scruffy didn't look at X the entire way back as they led her back to the RHIB. No one blamed her. She wasn't the X they knew.

* * *

The CO called ET over as he put his radio down, allowing Swain to continue with the Colonel. "Maybe you should get back to the RHIB. Help them with the X."

ET frowned. "Sir?"

"I don't know what's happened but it appears she's lost her memory, back to yesterday afternoon Chisholm said. I don't know what it could be but it doesn't look good and I don't think they'll be ab…"

"Sir." A voice called, the tone telling Mike he'd found something. Glancing at ET, they followed the sound to where Swain and the Colonel stood over a bloodied figure. The Colonel glanced up at Mike. "Sir, it's Ben Hur."

Mike looked at Swain. "Is he alive?"

Swain nodded. "Just barely. He's conscious too. You can try talking to him if you like."

"Can't we move him then?" ET asked hastily, glancing around him. He was spooked by something Mike didn't know or have time to ask about.

Swain just shook his head slowly and pointed to something in Ben Hur's side. He said nothing aloud, Mike guessing the Kanimbla man didn't know about the tree root impaled in his side. Moving Ben Hur would risk him bleeding to death.

Instead Mike just turned his attention to the seriously injured man. There was no way he would be coming out of Libertile alive, and he seemed to know this. He slowly opened his eyes and, recognizing the Colonel, reached out a hand to him.

"Colonel." He smiled sadly.

The Colonel nodded and crouched down to his level. "Hey Ben." He sighed. "Had to be your lot, didn't it? Couldn't've been one of those pansy land guys, could it?"

Ben Hur chuckled. "Army that work with the Navy, so much better than the rest. But you already know that don't you?" He groaned out. "Should've gone with Black Box. Fun for all with that bloke."

Swain glanced at the CO then motioned him away from the others. "He's been marked like the French and Avenger except for, of course, the eyes."

The CO frowned. "This is getting out of hand. I don't know what is happening here but I'm going to see Price as soon as we get back."

Swain nodded in agreement. "I struggle to believe this is the work of Barnes. I mean, I know he's mad but surely this isn't his style."

Mike then realised what he hadn't asked. "How long do you think Ben Hur has been like this?"

Swain shook his head. "Not long. Obviously he's only recently fallen on the root, but the cuts are only fresh. I'd say, oh, less than 15 hours."

"Lyons has been dead for almost 20 hours so it's not him. And I can't picture his me…"

He was cut off as ET came running towards them. "Sir, it's Ben Hur."

They glanced back at the Lance Corporal as he struggled for breath. He was fading quickly. The Colonel was trying to help him, but it was futile. Swain went to him, but the CO just stood back and watched. Then, Ben Hur uttered what they all knew would be his final sentence. And, like the fairytales, he seemed to give away the culprit.

Looking up at Holdsworth, he gave him a brief horrified look. "Colonel…" He took a rasping breath. "Stuart." He finished.

Then he slumped and with a sigh Swain confirmed he was gone. Standing and wiping the last of Ben Hur's blood onto his overalls, the Colonel came to the CO, anger etched in his face. "That's it then." He looked in the direction of the Stuart as if he could see the frigate. "I'm going to kill them all for this."

**A/N: **Now that's incriminating evidence if I ever saw it. Or is it? Stay tuned…


	39. Chapter 38: All Your Reasons

Chapter Thirty-Eight:  
All Your Reasons

"Let's look at this rationally Colonel. There's only like 10 of them left." Swain spoke up, trying to calm the Leading Seaman down. It didn't work.

"But that's enough isn't it? You heard Jekyll's last transmission too. 'You said we'd be safe from them', that's what he said. The Stuart. Be safe from the Stuart, because they were only after you lot. But now this? This is too far!"

"Leading Seaman Holdsworth!" Mike almost thundered, causing Colonel to stop angrily pacing and look at him. "This doesn't make sense. Why would the Stuart do this?"

The Colonel shrugged. "Final orders from Lyons? I don't know." He shook his head. "It doesn't matter, you heard Ben. 'Stuart'. He said it. That's enough for me."

Mike frowned at the Colonel. "Okay, look, there's nothing we can do now anyway. We need to get back to the Hammersley and make sure the X is okay. Is that alright with you Colonel?" Mike asked, not really needing the man to answer in the affirmative anyway.

But the Colonel did. "Yes sir." Then, giving his friend one last look, he slumped away back to the RHIB. The others followed.

* * *

Swain checked on the X, who was asleep in her cabin when they got back, and did a quick blood test. 30 minutes later he returned to the CO with the preliminary results.

"I'm not sure, but it appears she's been drugged. Rohypnol and something else the test didn't recognise. We'd need a more thorough test to figure it out." He explained. "But from what I can see, she just needs to sleep it off."

Mike frowned at him. "Rohypnol, the date rape drug? Where would that have come from?"

Swain shook his head. "I strongly doubt it was used for that purpose. Rohypnol is good for knocking out memory. Usually it only knocks out memory from the time you take it, but mixed with this other drug it appears to have given her mild amnesia relating back to yesterday afternoon. Either way, it's not harmful and the effects will wear off soon."

"And then will she remember?"

Swain shrugged. "I, I can't be sure. We can only hope." Then, giving Mike a small smile he left. Mike went to Kate's room, reminded of the last time she'd been drugged, and sat down near her bed just watching her. He frowned at her.

"C'mon Kate. Wake up and remember."

_

* * *

_

1302

"No Petty Officer Blake, don't talk to me like I'm a mental patient. I've regained my strength and I'll go back to work as I please." The X pushed Swain away from her and marched from the room.

Swain sighed, watching her go, then followed her to the bridge. Up there he found her arguing with Mike, saying much the same thing. Mike saw Swain and pounced on him. "Is she fit to work?"

Swain shrugged. "Physically, yes. Mentally I can't be sure. She doesn't remember the last 20 plus hours."

The X growled at him. "Technically that doesn't make me mentally unstable. If anything it's better. According to your records it wasn't nice enough to remember anyway."

Swain shrugged again, giving up. "It's up to her now. I'm not a psychologist." She turned and left.

Mike frowned at Kate. "I think you should rest."

Kate shook her head. "I'm not tired."

"X, you were drugged. By who we can't be sure, but whoever it was clearly wasn't looking out for your health."

The X looked at him. "Sir, keeping my brain working is helping me remember things." She confessed.

Mike frowned again. "Like what?"

The X nodded. "I remember talking to Buffer. We were talking about what was out in the bushes."

"What do you mean?"

"I don't remember who it is, but I recall we were both scared. Someone who hates us. Barnes knew about them. Warned us." Her expression fell. "I'm sorry, that's all I remember."

Mike gaped. "So it's not the Stuart? Or Barnes?"

Kate shook her head. "There's someone else out there. And I think that's who did this to me."

_

* * *

_

1340

"Seaman Murphy?" A voice came from the doorway.

From beside Black Box's body, Scruffy looked up to see the X standing there watching her. She stood quickly and gave her senior a brave smile. "Oh sorry ma'am, were you looking for me?"

The X nodded. "Yes, you're needed on the bridge." She continued as Scruffy made to leave. "But you can have five more minutes with him, if you need it."

Scruffy smiled. "Thank you ma'am but I'm okay."

"Are you really?" The X asked. Scruffy nodded. The X frowned. "I'm not asking as your senior Emma, I'm asking as your cousin."

Scruffy finally gave in and her face screwed up as she fought back tears. "I'm sorry, I just thought I'd be okay by now."

"By now? Emma, it's only been a week. How can you expect to be okay?"

"Because we're meant to be tougher than this. We're meant to be prepared for death."

"That doesn't mean you can't grieve for him. You've done so much better than most and considering where we are right now. God, I'd be a mess if it were me." The X gave Scruffy a sad smile and Scruffy returned it slowly.

"Thanks." She wiped her eyes. "Uh, the bridge?"

The X nodded and watched Scruffy leave quickly unsure whether she and her cousin had just made a breakthrough or not. She guessed they had then, slipping the sheet back over Black Box Riley, followed her to the bridge.

* * *

Mike glanced up as Scruffy came to the bridge and took over RO's position on the radio controls. He had retired for some much needed sleep after Mike had forced him to leave. Now Mike stood, watching the Kanimbla and waiting. Already twice he'd tried them, Price still not picking up any of their calls, and he was getting impatient.

He looked at Scruffy. "Try the Kanimbla again Scruffy."

She nodded and grabbed the radio. "Kanimbla, 51. This is Hammersley, 82. Please respond."

Nothing. Mike frowned at the ship. "Come on Price." He muttered under his breath.

"Respond you jerk." Scruffy muttered, not realising her finger was on the talk button as she said it, and dropped the radio when she did. Mike glanced up at the sound of the radio hitting the dashboard and frowned.

"Seaman Murphy?"

She didn't meet his eye, but was saved by a voice. "Evidently the charming CIS has gone to bed. Good afternoon Hammersley, Seaman Murphy particularly." Price taunted.

Scruffy scowled at the radio then held it out to Mike. He took it quickly. "Morning Price. I apologize for Seaman Murphy."

Price laughed. "I'm used to it." Mike glanced at Scruffy and she stopped glaring at the radio and went back to work. "So, I hear you got your X back."

Mike frowned. "I didn't realise you knew she was gone."

Price chuckled. "I know everything."

"Mmmm, yes. Which is why I'm paying you a visit soon Price. We need to talk."

Price said nothing then hung up on Mike. With a small smile Mike took that as an invitation and looked at Nav. "Ready the RHIB."

* * *

"Scruffy?" Bomber eventually asked. Her roommate had returned from a brief stint on the bridge just 20 minutes earlier but had lay silent, curled up on her bottom bunk, ever since. Eventually the silence got the better of Bomber and she broke it. "Are you okay?"

Scruffy pushed herself out of her bunk. "Sure, just everything is overwhelming. First the X. You should've seen her out there, it was scary. I didn't know who she was. Now she's back to normal and it's all a bad memory it's worse. Like it… oh, I don't know."

Bomber jumped off her bunk with a grin. "The X, scary?" She teased.

Scruffy grinned, shaking her head. "Don't mock me Bomber."

Bomber sighed. "That's not all of it, is it?" Scruffy shook her head, silent. She stared at the floor for a minute then looked away. Bomber watched her, confused.

"I need to stop it. It's getting out of hand." Scruffy said suddenly.

Bomber looked up. "What?"

"Luke and I. It's getting out of hand." She bit her lip. "He told me he loves me." She admitted.

Bomber gaped. "What?" She closed her mouth quickly as Scruffy turned to her. "Where did this come from?"

Scruffy shrugged. "He said he has, forever. I think all of this business with ET and Nav brought something up for him. But it's not right. I shouldn't've let it get this far."

Bomber frowned. "But I thought you liked him? I mean, you told me you did."

Scruffy nodded slowly. "I do, but I only just realised why when he told me." Tears formed in her eyes. "When he said it, he…" Her voice cracked from emotion. "He sounded so much like Phil." Tears slipped down her cheek and Bomber went to her friend and hugging her. "He just reminds me so much of Phil. It was like he never died." Scruffy admitted into Bomber's shoulder.

Bomber sighed. "You have to talk to him Scruff. Tell him. You can't keep leading him on like this."

Scruffy stepped out of the hug and wiped her eyes with the backs of her wrists. "You're right." He sniffed and smiled. "You're always right."

Bomber shrugged. "I know." Scruffy smiled and fished a book out of her backpack, throwing it at Bomber. Bomber caught it and glanced at the cover. "Ice Station?"

Scruffy shrugged. "Spider told me you were bored." She wiped her eyes again and left to find Haynes. Bomber crossed her legs underneath her, thankful for friends, then started to read.

* * *

Scruffy found Haynes with Archie, talking inanely about cars. She chuckled, not understanding a single thing they were talking about, and it caught their attention, Archie giving her a silent smile then making a hasty getaway. Haynes invited her in and shut the door behind her.

"Hey, what's up?"

Scruffy bit her lip. "We need to talk."

Haynes got serious. "Yeah, I know. I need to tell you something."

Scruffy frowned. "What is it?"

"About earlier, when I said I loved you, I mean, I think I freaked you out a bit, didn't I?" Scruffy shook her head until Haynes gave her a disbelieving look and she finally nodded. "I knew it. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to."

Scruffy sighed. "I know you didn't it's just, it was so out of the blue." She looked at the ground then back up at him. "So, uh, did you mean it?"

Haynes smiled. "Of course I meant it."

"Then why are you apologizing?"

"Because you closed up after I told you. I thought maybe it was too soon. The wrong time. I mean, just after we found the X. It was stupid, I know, just I d…"

Scruffy cit across him. "That's not why. I… I don't know how to say this without hurting your feelings so I'm sorry but…" She paused her rush of words and slowed down. "It's too soon."

"I know that and I apologize for that, so just pretend I never said it and…"

Scruffy cut him off. "No, I mean everything. Luke, it's too soon after Phil. I'm sorry." She gathered a ragged breath. "I do like you, as a friend, but for a while there having you was like having Phil back. It's wrong and I'm a horrible person for using you like that but you're just so much like him."

Luke frowned but to Scruffy's relief he didn't get angry. Instead he gathered her into a hug. "You're not a bad person Emma, you're just grieving." He stepped back and looked at her face. "You really loved him didn't you?"

Scruffy nodded. "More than anything." She looked at the ground. "I'm sorry Luke, I understand if you hate me."

Haynes smiled sadly. "I could never hate you Emma." He pulled away from her and stepped back. "You know how much I admired Black Box. He was everything I wanted to be and had everything I ever wanted. So it's almost a compliment." He gave a small laugh. "And if you want the truth, I miss him too."

Scruffy chewed her lip before looking back at the door. "I should go." Haynes nodded and she left quickly. As she shut the door behind her Luke fell back against his bunk and put his hands on his head, just staring at the bottom of the top bunk lost in thoughts. Thoughts about just what a mistake this entire mission had become.

* * *

"Mike." Price met Mike on the deck with a beaming smile and a hand. Mike ignored it. "How's the X?"

Mike nodded. "Fine. But it appears she's been slipped something. Rohypnol it seems."

Price frowned. "Who would slip her that?"

Mike looked at him with a frown. "I was hoping you could tell me that."

Price nodded slowly. "Okay." He said, his humour dropping from his tone.

Mike frowned harder. "What?"

Price nodded again. "Yeah, it's time I got you involved in our jobs."

Mike couldn't believe what he was hearing and thought Price was having a go. "Like what?" He asked.

Price pointed to a figure in the distance. The Prairial. "We're searching that this afternoon, 1500. You're welcome to join us."

Mike looked at the French ship. "Why would you want to search it? It's empty."

Price shook his head and looked at Mike, his eyes trying to tell Mike something. "Just, trust me, and help me search it."

Mike gave in. "Fine."

Price smiled again, his humour returned. "Goodie. Now, come into my office. We shall chat." Then, with a grin, he left the deck. Mike followed now utterly confused.

**A/N: **Suss-factor on Price: Extreme Fire Danger


	40. Chapter 39: Signet5

Chapter Thirty-Nine:  
Signet-5

The X looked up as the CO joined them back on the Hammersley deck. He glanced at her. "Price wants us to explore the Prairial. Says it might provide us with some clues. I don't know what he means by that, but I say we just go with the flow, at least until we get Buffer back."

The X frowned. "Don't tell me you're actually going with Price's suicidal plans from now on."

Mike shrugged. "He let me in on a few things that I'll share later. Right now we need to get the crew together." He walked away but stopped when the X cracked what sounded, to the untrained ear, like a joke. He knew better. She was questioning this sudden change of heart. Mike didn't blame her. He wasn't sure why, all of a sudden, he agreed with Price. But there had been something in his voice, as if he were trying to tell Mike something but couldn't be open about it.

"So, uh, you and Price have buried the hatchet?" She asked, still looking out at the island past where he had just stood.

He chuckled, but like her humour it was forced. "Oh, I hope so." She turned to look at him quickly just as he raised a sole finger to his right temple. "Hopefully it's about here." Then, without really seeing her smile, he turned and went back to the bridge.

* * *

Swain boarded the ship first, climbing up an escape ladder on the side and jumping onto the deck from the RHIB. The other four in the RHIB followed, glancing around them as they landed. Beneath them their second RHIB pulled up and that four started to board, followed by Price's 15 men, including Price himself. Eventually everyone was standing on the deck, 24 men in total. Splitting them into groups of six, Price took command, sending them to the different areas of the ship.

Mike went with Spider, Swain, Price and two of Price's men towards the bridge. There they met with a mess, which Price described as Parramatta handywork and chuckled. Mike ignored him, splitting the team again to spread out over the huge bridge. After ten minutes of nothing Mike, Price and Swain headed downstairs while Spider and the other two continued looking. As they got to the floor below their radio blared. It was ET.

"Sir, jackpot!" His grin evident in his voice.

Mike frowned. "What have you found ET?"

"The best prize." He radio shuffled around in his hands before a new voice hit Mike's ear. "Hello sir." It was Buffer.

"Petty Officer Tomaszewski, good to hear your voice."

"Yours too sir. We have a lot to talk about."

"Indeed we do Buffer. Tell ET to get you back to the Hammersley. We won't be long. This search wasn't a waste of time after all." He frowned at Price but the man just looked away.

"Okay sir." The radio went quiet as Mike looked at Price.

Price just shrugged. "A hunch?" He smiled.

Mike shook his head. "I don't believe that." But there was no proof Price had known Buffer was here and so, ignoring him, Mike continued. He was called back by footsteps on the stairs.

"Sir. I found this." Spider said, emerging from the bridge of the Prairial, two of Price's men behind him, holding a radio-like object. But it wasn't a radio and Mike knew what it was straightaway.

"It's a Signet-5." He frowned. "Why would the French need a Signet-5?"

Swain took it from Spider, the young Seaman looking terribly confused. "It's a good quality one." He glanced at the back. It was engraved. Swain read it aloud. "_Nouvelle, may you always find what you need. Sarkozy_." Swain gaped. "It was from the French president!"

"'May you always find what you need'? What does that mean?" Spider asked.

Swain handed it back to him. "It's an electronic tracker. It zeroes in on radio frequencies and breaks down encryption codes."

Spider looked more confused. "So why wouldn't they need it? It sounds handy." He looked about ready to pocket it himself before the CO spoke.

"It doesn't track all frequencies. It couldn't have found us. It only tracks one type of frequency. AN/PRC-119." He paused for dramatic effect. "The American special-ops frequency."

Spider stared at the tracker as if it were evil as Price, who had been surprisingly silent, looked at Mike. "Clearly the French were prepared for anything."

Mike shook his head. "What if it was more than that?"

Price smiled disbelievingly. "You aren't seriously suggesting there are Americans here, are you?"

Mike shrugged. "We know there's someone here, Barnes warned Kate. Someone that killed those Frenchman and let Haynes and the others go free from this ship."

Price nodded. "Yeah, it was those bastard Stuarts."

Swain spoke up. "But why let Haynes go and then kidnap Buffer? Why kill the French if they were just after us? And what about Avenger? What if that wasn't the French? Barnes said it wasn't him."

Price scoffed. "You believe Barnes? The man is a nutcase. All of them were. That's why they were messing with our heads. They were worse than the French."

Mike shrugged again. "Well, I'm not sure, I just keep thinking of Ben Hur. What he said when we found him."

"Colonel, Stuart. It's pretty clear Mike."

"But what if it isn't? We thought he was just talking to Leading Seaman Holdsworth and telling us it was the Stuart. But what if it's more than that?"

"Like what Mike?"

"Like Colonel Stuart."

"Colonel James 'The Flying Hellfish' Stuart, the American?" Mike nodded. Price shook his head then continued. "One of the most famous men in the 82nd Airbourne?"

"The same."

Price laughed in his face. "You're mad Mike. Colonel Stuart and the 82nd, the most famous and specialist team in USAF, here?"

"Well if you were the American president who would you send? I mean, if the Marines weren't available."

Price gave him a look. "The fight is getting too much for you isn't it? Stress is affecting your mind. Or did you just fall over and smack yourself in the head?"

Mike frowned at him. "Let's be serious about this Price. The Signet-5. The strange happenings on this island. The French threat about the Americans going after Europe. Uranium. And let's not forget Marshall giving you those Sea Sparrows. It all adds up."

"Like 2 + 2 5." Price shook his head and turned away. "The Tobruk will be here in 6 days Mike. I'm sure we'll be alright until then. You take your men and scuttle home now." He left their sight with a chuckle.

"Sir?" Swain asked.

Mike shook his head. "We're not going anywhere until the Tobruk arrives and we can be sure this island is going to be safe. Unlike Price, I can't leave a half-finished job behind." He grabbed the Signet-5 from Spider. "And I'm taking this to be sure."

**A/N: **A Signet-5; probably the only useful thing I ever got out of Matthew Reilly's Hell Island. Did I mention that was probably one of the worst books I have ever read, and to put lovely Scarecrow in it just made it worse? It did. I would've burnt that book had it not been a library book. Now to pretend I never read it and keep with the three other awesome Scarecrow books I still have. Ahhh Ice Station, at least you have character development and a plot line.

The Flying Hellfish was from my Simpson's obsessed friend Emily (who you may know if you've read Small World as she's nicely used in there as Bomber's friend Dee). It works though so it's all hers.

Now, for the last bit of my very long author's note, this was the last chapter of this section. Stay tuned for the next section. Until then, let's play 'how suss is Price'? Come on, it ain't hard. The choices are incredibly and definitely. Lol.


	41. Chapter 40: Colonel 'Hellfish' Stuart

Chapter Forty:  
Colonel 'Hellfish' Stuart

_Thursday afternoon  
1607_

"Know your enemy."

The CO glanced up at Kate who was watching him from the doorway. She gave him a warm smile, which for some reason now made Mike uncomfortable, and joined him in his cabin, handing him a printout. Mike glanced at it and smiled, realising how strangely similar he and Kate thought.

"I've just been looking at this myself." He said, opening his laptop to show Kate the file he'd just searched. The name across the top? Colonel Stuart.

Kate smiled. "Great minds sir." She took a seat and glanced at it. "Not much information."

Mike shook his head. "Special ops don't release much. Not as much as normal anyway." He brought up another file to compare and Kate recognised it as Ben Hur's. "No previous placements, no personal details. It doesn't even explain the nickname."

Kate sniggered. "You don't watch enough television. Even I know the Flying Hellfish. It's from The Simpsons."

"And clearly I haven't given you enough jobs if you're sneaking into the mess to watch The Simpsons." They both laughed then Kate looked back at the computer sadly.

"Ben Hur's file sir?"

Mike nodded. "I have all our new friends' notes on here. I brought up Ben Hur's in case I need to talk to relatives. I doubt Price will do an adequate job."

"You don't think he cares about his men?"

Mike shook his head. "I know he cares about his men. Just as long as caring about them doesn't get in the way of furthering himself."

"You didn't tell me what he said yesterday, when you went to see him."

"He was weird. I mean, weirder than usual. Insisted we search the Prairial. Said it would give me answers he couldn't. But then one of his men walked in on us and he went back to usual. Insults and everything. Then, laughing at me with the Lieutenant, said it was my idea to search the Prairial."

"That is weird." Kate frowned. "You don't think he's hiding something?"

"I know he's hiding something. A few things I'd say. Like this Signet-5. Why would the French bring that unless they thought they'd come across Americans?"

"I have RO and Scruffy working on that now."

"Good. Still, it makes no sense. And you should've seen Price's reaction when I suggested Colonel Stuart. He looked at me like I'd grown an extra head. Called me an idiot."

Kate smiled softly. "No offence sir, but he always does that."

Mike paid that and smiled back. Then he shook his head. "But no, it was different. Forced, like he was telling me something he wanted me to realise I was right about."

"So, he is hiding something. But this time he was trying to tell you something?"

Mike nodded. "Exactly."

Kate laughed softly. "He is weird." Mike met her smile as she continued. "So, what do we do? If you're right and Price is hiding from us our enemy, be it Americans or whomever it is, can we trust him?"

Mike tapped the screen. "We can. And this is why." He motioned to Ben Hur's file. "Whoever he's protecting out there has betrayed him by killing his men. In Jekyll's transmission he told Price that they thought they were safe from these men. The Americans. But they're not. Price hates everyone, but people who betray him are at the top of the list."

They were silent for a minute until Kate spoke. "Assuming the worst is right and we are dealing with the 82nd, where are they? Libertile hasn't got an airfield. They would be no use here."

"Maybe they're not equipped with planes. 82nd are like the Marines, amazing land fighters. I think we should prepare for more land attacks."

"So, no planes?"

"Maybe for once my positive thinking will pay off. But nonetheless, search for any way they could be here. Are they alone? If not, who else have they brought with them?"

Kate nodded and stood up. "Yes sir." She went to the door then glanced back at him. "Just so you know, no one blames you for Caesar and Pierce."

Mike glanced at her. "Yeah." He met her smile and she left. As the door shut behind her he sighed. "Too bad I do."

* * *

"Mate, really. For the eleventy-billionth time, I feel fine. Now, please, just let me sleep." Buffer grumbled, his eyes open only a crack.

Charge just grinned. "Sorry buddy, just making sure."

He made to leave but another figure entered the room. It was Swain. Buffer groaned. "Swaino! I've only been back an hour and you've already visited me three times!"

Swain shrugged. "Sorry Buff but I have to monitor your condition and, seeing as you point blank refuse to stay in…"

Buffer grumbled over him. "I'm not dead, analysis over. Now bugger off and let me sleep. Please." He rolled away from them and put his pillow over his head. Charge laughed and left. Swain wrestled his arm up and started taking his blood pressure, grinning every time Buffer let out a long, fake groan.

"Considered acting mate?" Swain chuckled.

"Considered a facelift?" Buffer threatened, clenching his fist and shaking it in Swain's direction.

Swain just stood with a laugh. "Alright, I'll let you sleep. But I'll be back in twenty minutes." He pulled open the door just as a slightly muffled sardonic reply was heard from the man on the bed.

"I'd be disappointed if you weren't mate."

* * *

"Do you think he was drugged too?" Spider asked, frowning and looking deadly serious.

ET snorted and Bomber shook her head at him. "Spi, it would take an elephant tranquilizer to knock Buffer out." She put in with a grin. Bomber was in a good mood and had been since they'd all returned from the Priarial search. Swain had just confirmed that she was vastly improved and it may only be a few hours, maximum a day, of rest and enough water to drown a whale before the poison should be completely out of her system. For now though the most strenuous thing she was able to do was endure Spider's theories, which were now proving to be rather strenuous indeed.

"Well, yeah, I guess that's true. I mean, the X is…"

"If you say weaker or anything about being a woman, god forgive me Spider I will have to deck you and get myself killed by Swain!" Bomber threatened.

Spider gaped. "Well, just, I mean she is…"

ET saved him. He intervened, slapping a hand over Spider's mouth. "What he means to say is that while the X is tougher than most people." He strained the word people, causing Bomber to raise an eyebrow. "Buffer is, well, a rhino."

"And the X is?" She prompted.

"A wool." Spider said behind ET's hand.

ET interpreted. "A… bull?" He frowned at Spider's choice of words and the Seaman shrugged.

Bomber rolled her eyes and shook her head. "Idiots." Then, pushing herself up, she left. Spider's eyes followed her to the door before he pried off ET's hand. "I think we made it out alive."

ET laughed. "Yeah, for now." He looked at Spider and noticed the Seaman still watching the door. "She'd gone mate." He teased.

Spider looked at him. "What?"

ET shook his head with a cheeky smile. "Nothing." He made to leave but stop and glanced back at the door. "Just tell her mate. There's no time like the present."

Spider frowned. "I don't know what…"

ET shook his head. "Carpe Diem Spider. Seize the day. Don't wait till it's too late. You nearly lost her once." Then he left.

Spider just stared at the bulkhead beside the door, lost in thought.

* * *

Buffer wandered out into the hall, having finally given up on sleep, and determined for something to do. His head hurt and his eyes watered, but he was fine considering everything that had happened. All of it. And while he had tried to sleep he had remembered everything. Now he wanted to talk about it to someone. But, just his luck, there was no one around.

So, gathering his strength, he made his way up to the bridge. Up there three sets of eyes were drawn on him as he entered. Thankfully one he wanted to see.

"Sir."

Mike frowned. "Buffer? I thought you were in bed?"

Buffer shrugged. "Can't sleep. Sir, I need to talk to you about everything that happened on the island. It's important."

Mike nodded. "I know, but it can wait until you're feeling better. Everyone's back on board, there's no rush anymore. Just go get some sleep."

Buffer shook his head. "That's the problem. I can't sleep until I've told you everything." He gave Mike a look. "Please."

Mike nodded and followed Buffer from the bridge. "Okay, just let me get one person first."

* * *

Kate wasn't asleep, just snoozing, when Mike knocked on her door. Despite assuring Swain that she was fine, she had been having small bouts of weakness every so often, leading her to now try a nap. But it wasn't working. She felt useless not being able to remember what happened. As hard as she strained there was nothing there. She recalled Barnes' call, his smug tone of voice and the look of horror on Nav's face as she'd requested going out there. But then she couldn't remember even getting in the RHIB. It had all been washed from her mind. The next thing she remembered was the feeling of dread and her inability to sleep. She could recall talking to Buffer about someone being out in the bushes, but for the life of her she couldn't recall who. She felt so lost. It was hard and all her memories felt like someone else's life. Scenes from a movie she'd watched but was now unable to remember the name of. These lines didn't fit her life. They weren't hers. It was scary.

And then Mike appeared in her doorway and Kate sat up quickly, barely missing hitting her head on the top bunk. He frowned at her. "X? Are you okay?"

She nodded. "Fine sir. Just the hot weather, makes me sleepy." She gave him a grin that was meant to say 'I'm fine' but unfortunately she didn't pull it off.

He just nodded slowly. "Okay. Well, Buffer is about to tell me everything that happened to him on the island so we were hoping you would be fine to hear it."

Kate pushed herself to her feet. "Perfectly sir. Anything to help me remember would be great." She answered, her eyes showing how desperately she wanted answers to those huge gaps in her memory. He seemed to see this and left, evidently intending her to follow, and she did right back to his cabin where Buffer stood waiting.

Mike invited them in then sat down. Kate took a seat too but Buffer leant against the doorframe awkwardly. He took a deep breath then, showing Kate and Mike that it had been gathered up inside him for a while, information poured out. Many of it what Mike had heard from Dutchy. When they were captured, what happened for the three days, the sounds and other things. Then he got the part they didn't know.

"After the X joined me Barnes told us who was out there." He gave Kate a look but she remained blank. He continued. "But the next morning we were attacked by them. They killed Barnes and the other guy with them right in front of us. It wasn't pretty. Then a man named Hornet came to us. He forced the X to drink something. I couldn't see what it was because the other man with him was standing over me. But then she fell, out cold. It was then that Hornet turned on me. Told me he had orders to get rid of me. I assumed the worst, but I was wrong. They gathered me up, still tied up, and led me away. We walked for about an hour before we came out at the Priarial. I had no idea what they were up to but then they took me on board, tied me up downstairs and left. Not long after that ET and the others turned up."

Mike shook his head. "Why would they leave you behind?"

Buffer shrugged. "They were talking amongst themselves as they left. Hornet saying that 'he' told them to do it, for their own good they said. I don't know what they mean by that but, I guess, the Australian Government?"

Mike looked at Kate. "Do you remember any of this?"

Kate nodded slowly, tears in her eyes. "I remember who they are now. Captain Hornet killing Barnes. It was ugly. I thought I was next, but then he untied me and spoke to me. Pulled off his helmet and spoke to me like a normal person. Young, handsome…" She stopped. "He was…" He failed again to form the word.

Buffer looked at her sadly as if he knew what was about to come. Mike glanced between Buffer and Kate waiting for an answer.

Finally Kate muttered what he did and didn't want to hear. "You're right sir. I remember it now. They're Americans." She met Buffer's eyes. "The Americans are here."

**A/N: **Kate remembers! Mike is right! Oh, and Spider/Bomber… So it begins.


	42. Chapter 41: Islands In The Stream

Chapter Forty-One:  
Islands in the Stream

"How do we tell the troops?" Mike asked after Buffer left. He was met with a silent shrug from a still slightly disturbed Kate. He gave her a sad smile. "I'm sorry, I'll just give you a minute to collect yourself."

Kate shook her head. "Nah, I'm fine, really. I just… just was thinking the exact same thing." She was a horrible liar, but Mike didn't correct her.

"We can't keep it from them too long. Maybe we should just, I don't know, PA?"

Kate glanced at him. "That's a bit insensitive isn't it? I mean, this could be, well… do I have to say it?" She didn't, Mike knew what she meant.

"Maybe we need to gloss it a bit. I don't know, make it less… daunting."

Kate narrowed her eyebrows. "How do you say 'we're about to be attacked by the 82nd Airborne, an American special forces group' without scaring them? Really?"

Mike sighed. "I don't know, I just…" He opened the door. "C'mon, you better get back to bed, you look stuffed."

Kate didn't pretend anything otherwise, just giving him a small nod. Mike, meanwhile, headed for the bridge. Now to tell his men the truth. That this could well be the beginning of the end for the Hammersley.

* * *

A small beat of knocks, a little pattern that she knew well, and Bomber smiled at the door. "Yes Spider?" She called.

Spider opened the door and gave her a goofy grin. She motioned him inside and he sat down on the desk, watching her on her computer. "What you doing?"

Bomber shook her head. "Nothing much, just writing to my sister."

Spider tried to see what she was writing but she snapped the laptop shut with a snap. "Oh, come on!" He protested.

She grinned and sat up, swinging her legs around so they hung off the edge off the bunk and in his face. "Keep out nosey." She made to give him a soft kick to the nose but he moved out of the way.

"I hope you aren't discussing awesome holiday destinations."

Bomber laughed and pretended to type in the air in front of her. "'Dear Jess, Libertile is the best holiday destination ever, after Samaru. Please just excuse the insane French, back-stabbing Australians and randomly appearing Americans. Love, Bec'. Yeah, that sounds like a Lonely Planet recommendation of 5 stars." She grinned then frowned at Spider. "So, what's up? You didn't come to discuss the top ten holiday destination requirements with me. 1-10: No coups."

Spider laughed. "No, I just came to see how you were."

Bomber lowered one eyebrow. "The same as I was when I was talking to you and ET in the mess an hour ago." She snorted and flopped back on her bed where Spider could no longer see her face. "Bored, bored and oh…" She sat up quickly and gave a false thinking pose. "Oh, what's the word? Oh, yeah… bored!" She pulled a face and Spider laughed. She made to kick him again. "Don't laugh at me!" She gave him a wide-eyed stare and he stopped, just smiling at her. "If I get any more bored I will fall into a coma."

"Can't you go back to your galley yet?"

Bomber shrugged. "I don't know. I haven't really tried." Spider frowned and she explained. "I rather like having someone else cook for me."

"What kind of a chef are you?"

Bomber pouted. "Yeah, well." She shrugged. "Look, you're the ship klutz. Don't you sometimes like someone else doing it instead of you?" She teased. He frowned at her but she just grinned. "You're such a squidmonkey."

Spider frowned. "What did you just call me?"

"A squidmonkey."

Spider laughed. "What the hell is a squidmonkey?"

Bomber gave him a blank look then pointed at him. "You are."

Spider just shook his head with a laugh. "This boredom is clearly affecting your brain." He ducked as she threw a book at him. It hit the wall and slid to the ground. "Now, see, you read those, not throw them." She poked her tongue out at him and fell back against her bed again. They were quiet for a minute before Bomber sat up again.

"Uh, so, what is up?" She asked, looking a little more serious.

Spider decided it was finally the time to say why he'd come in the first place. "Well, see, I was talking to ET and he said, maybe, that if I, well, I, maybe if I just…"

Bomber laughed and jumped down off her bunk. She stood before him now, hands on her hips. "Speak man speak!"

Spider frowned. "Well, I thought, maybe, after we get out of this mess, that maybe you would li…"

He was interrupted by the appearance of ET at the door. But, noticing Spider was trying to talk, he said nothing and just disappeared.

Bomber laughed. "I swear to god he gets weirder every day." She glanced back at Spider. "Well? I would what?"

But the interruption had been enough for Spider and he lost his nerve. "Nothing." He pushed himself up. "I better go."

Bomber's smile fell. "Spider?" She asked, but he still left. Bomber just sighed then, picking up her book and wiping the crestfallen look off her face, Bomber went back to her computer.

* * *

Mike glanced up at the door to see the figure of Buffer standing there. He waved the Petty Officer in and Buffer shut the door behind him.

"What is Petty Officer Tomaszewski?" Mike asked, not looking up from his computer where he sat rifling through a list of papers he'd printed out. Profiles; all of them on men now laying in the austere with sheets over them. It wasn't the best read he'd ever had, but helped him get his mind off the issue at hand. The 82nd. The Hellfish. Even the mysterious Captain that had let Kate and Buffer go. It was all too much for him to get his around. All too scary to consider discussing.

Alas Buffer seemed to want to do just that. "Sir, the 82nd. It probably seems too obvious to say it now but, well, they've been here the whole time haven't they?" He asked.

Mike nodded. "Yeah, I think so."

Buffer continued. "The voices that Murray heard. Remember that? When he was with Black Box?" Mike nodded silently and Buffer continued. "Sir, they said they saw white men. Not any select race. So, sir, what if they were the Americans? Murray said they moved like ghosts. We know the French didn't move like ghosts. If anything they were louder than us. So, what if the Americans were the ones that attacked the army men?"

Mike glanced at Buffer. He'd been thinking much the same thing. "And, Buffer, what if they were the ones behind Villa Morte? We thought that was the islanders, but I've been reading up on the Airborne…" He paused them handed Buffer a sheet of paper he'd just pulled from his draw. It was a brief summary of the MO of the Airborne. One included copying locals methods of killing. "When you went there first you said the locals were scared of you. You thought it was the mention of the islander men, but what if it was just white men in general?"

Buffer sighed. "Then sir, that means they've been here from the start."

Mike nodded. "I think they've been here longer than we have."

They were quiet then Buffer looked up. "Sir, this Captain Hornet guy. Any idea why he let the X and I free?"

Mike nodded again. "I have a small idea why, but I need to confirm it with him." He glanced at Buffer. "Price has a lot to do with this. He always does. I'm going to see him in the morning and get the truth out of him… no matter what it takes."

* * *

_2154_

The bridge was silent. It had been quiet for a while now, the recent news that their new enemy was their worst yet still sinking in. Kate sat at the controls, staring out at the island. Nav was at the navigation system, plotting maps and trying to find something, anything to tell them where the Americans were.

"This is weird." Scruffy suddenly spoke up. She was sitting with RO, analysing the Signet-5, when it suddenly did something. She picked up the hand-held device and walked over to Nav's radar. "Do you have a contact at this position?" She held out a small slip of paper where she had jotted down a small collection of close co-ordinates, barely a minute apart. Whatever was out there was close to Libertile and as big as a small island, but they hadn't noticed it before. But now, according to the Signet-5, it was harbouring American radio waves.

Nav scanned the radar then pulled up a map. At the co-ordinates she had been given there was nothing on the map except a small collection of tiny little islands. "An island?" She suggested.

Scruffy frowned. "Pull up the radar again and scan for vessels." Nav pulled it up again and set up the scan. The Kanimbla, the Priarial, the Stuart. Nothing else. "Okay, now scan with Doppler." She suggested. The Doppler Effect allowed moving figures to be differentiated from stationary ones.

Nav frowned. "The screen will be alive. We'll have a million contacts."

"Then narrow it down to those co-ordinates I gave you. Islands that small wouldn't have many inhabitants. They shouldn't register."

Nav agreed and tried the advanced scan. This proved more successful. Two of the islands showed positive to movement. In fact, one of the islands appeared to be a lot less stationary than it should. Nav looked up to the sound of skin on skin. Scruffy had just smacked herself in the forehead with a groan.

"God, how stupid am I?" Her anguished cry made the others on the bridge look up.

Nav frowned as Scruffy darted away to get a map then returned to the radar still clutching the Signet-5. "What? Why? What is it?"

Scruffy waved the Signet-5 triumphantly and grinned at the CO. "Good find sir. The best information we could've had." She laid out the map. There were markings all over it. The writing was Scruffy's. "When we first came into contact I intended to plot more of the surrounding areas of Libertile. Sad little hobby of mine. I grabbed this map and scribbled all over it. When I was messing with the radar on the Kanimbla I noticed the small collection of islands and I counted them. The Kanimbla's radar says there are 8. Your radar shows life on two of them. One of those two is this one." She pointed to a spot on the map where she had drawn a small circle with a big question mark over it. "When I first found it I named it Scruffy Island, thought I'd discovered something. A bit naïve of me but I was very excited. But now…" She looked up, expecting the others to finally get it.

RO did. "It's not an island, but it's as big as an island."

Scruffy pointed at him. "Exactly. So what do we know is that big, has the type of technology that could trick radars into making it think it's an island, and moves just a little?"

RO gaped. The CO got it too. A second later the X did then finally Nav spoke. "You aren't saying it's an aircraft carrier?"

Scruffy nodded. "That's exactly what I'm saying. That size I'd say a Nimitz class." She frowned. "That's where the Americans are."

**A/N: **Nimitz-class aircraft carriers, I'm seriously in love with them right now. The HMAS Kanimbla and HMAS Parramatta have the ass, I'm now an aircraft carrier girl. They're just so pretty I just HAD to include them. What can I say? I'm a fickle person with a great love for large metal monsters…


	43. Chapter 42: It Was There All Along

Chapter Forty-Two:  
It Was There All Along

_Thursday night/ Friday morning_

_0329_

They made no sound, nothing to even suggest they were there. The Officer of The Watch saw no one, not even a flicker of movement as they moved across the deck. They opened the door quietly and crept inside the patrol boat. They moved like the wind, they made no noise, and before anyone knew what was happening they had two hostages. Two that never put up a fight. They didn't have a chance. Both sleeping with their mouths open, it didn't take much to drip the smallest hint of the poison onto their exposed tongues and then wait for them to slump. After that it was just a matter of picking them up and carrying them out. Their roommates heard nothing. Those still awake heard nothing. Just the usual creak of the ship as she rocked in the early morning seas. Then, like the wind, they were gone.

_

* * *

_

_0557_

The crew had awoken that morning with the ship a little higher in the water without the added weight of two Able Seamen. Archie was the first to notice his new roommate gone. He made for the bridge as soon as he woke up, looking for an explanation. There he found the bridge virtually empty, save for Nav and the CO. Nav looked tired, having done the OOTW job, and gave him a weak smile. But Archie didn't return it. He glanced at the CO. "Budgie's gone."

Mike frowned back at him. "What? What do you mean?" He looked at Nav. "Did you see him?"

Nav shook her head. "I didn't see anything sir. There was no one outside all night." She glanced at Archie. "Maybe he's just gone to see Platters or…"

But she was cut off as another figured came upstairs. It was Chisholm. He was frowning. "Hey, has anyone seen Rhino? His bed was a mess when I woke up. It looked like he'd been fighting… well, a rhino." He gave a goofy grin.

Nav frowned at the CO. "Sir, I didn't see anything last night, I swear."

The CO nodded. "I believe you Nav." He picked up the radio. "Able Seaman Wright and Able Seaman De Costa, please report to the bridge immediately. If anyone has information on either sailor, please come to the bridge too."

Neither of the men joined them, only a few confused-looking crew and Platters, looking like he'd just swallowed a fly. He frowned at the CO. "What's going on?"

Mike shook his head. "I don't know. I just f…"

He was drowned out by ET's voice. He'd just come up from the deck with something. It was the Signet-5.

"Sir, I found this on the deck. What is it doing down there?"

Nav shook her head and turned around, holding up something identical. It was their Signet-5. "Sir, I've had it all night. That one isn't ours."

Mike glanced between the two Signet-5s and suddenly things made sense. "The Americans came here last night. They came and took our men."

Nav shook her head. "They can't have. I would've noticed something."

Mike put a hand on her shoulder. "It isn't a slur against you Nav. If you had seen them then they wouldn't've done their job properly. These men are ghosts. No one saw them, not even those in the room with Budgie and Rhino." Archie and Chisholm averted their eyes, looking guilty. "It wasn't anyone's fault." He stopped. "Well, maybe one…"

Nav frowned. "Sir?"

Mike suddenly remembered what he'd said the night before, about straightening all this out with their ally and neighbour, and glanced at Charlie who stood nearby. "Prepare the RHIB Leading Seaman Chaplain. I have to see Price immediately."

* * *

Price gave a huge yawn as he joined Mike on the deck 20 minutes later. "Oh come on Mike. I'm in holiday mode. And I haven't had breakfast yet. Can't you come bug me in say… 3 hours?" He gave a huge grin.

"In three hours my men could be dead or locked up somewhere." He growled.

Price feigned interest. "Oh yeah, that kind of party on the Hammersley is it?" He teased, raising his eyebrows.

Mike shook his head. "No Price. The Americans that are on this island came aboard my ship last night, kidnapped two of my men and left."

Price shook his head. "Too early for crazy talk Mike. Too early."

"How about too early for an American aircraft carrier, hmm Price?" He stared at Price. "The American aircraft carrier that's parked over on the otherside of this island amongst the smaller Libertile-Pacific Islands. An aircraft carrier covered by hundreds of US Navy men and the men from the 82nd Airborne who, it appears, have come along for the ride." But for some reason Price didn't look as shocked as he should've been and Mike frowned, realization spreading across his face. "You knew this and you didn't warn us?" Price's face remained blank. "Then why are you even here?" He asked, never once having assumed it was to help them he wasn't surprised by the answer.

Price shrugged. "We were sent up to help them fight off the French invasion, but when you lot blundered into it it all hit the fan."

"So you knew about the French too?" Mike exclaimed. Price nodded again. Mike frowned. "You told me you knew nothing. You told me we'd share information."

Price scoffed. "Mike, you're captaining a patrol boat. You aren't meant to be here. You know the secrecy, it's all need to know. Imagine if it got out that America had been keeping watch over a small French island for months? It would be pandemonium. The problem is, Sarkozy did find out and now he's enraged. But he thinks he's outnumbered and surely won't send any more."

"But you came un-armed the first time. You were just a look-out weren't you?"

Price nodded. "Of course the Roosevelt has recon planes, but what's a better watch than a warship? We're meant to be here, it's Australian waters, but if the Americans were spotted before it could be confirmed that the French were after Libertile's uranium… well." He sighed. "The Parramatta and Stuart weren't meant to come, it was just meant to be us, but when we heard about you lot bumbling in we used that as an excuse to bring them up too. That way the Americans could remain unseen, hiding amongst the islands. Your men weren't supposed to stay after you found the Signet-5. You were supposed to leave when they returned the X and your Buffer. You were supposed to go home."

Mike frowned. "I knew you were behind the suspect return of my men." Price shrugged. Mike continued. "We were supposed to do a lot of things but now I'm glad we didn't."

"Don't be. The reason I have the Sparrows this time? The Americans are pissed Mike. You've done it now. You weren't supposed to get involved. You weren't supposed to know about the French. They're worried that if your men get the information out there their entire operation on Libertile could be jeopardised. I'm sorry to tell this Mike, but you may have inadvertedly put a gaping hole in international relations between Australia and America."

Mike gaped. "What?" He held up his hands. "You aren't putting this on me Price. I didn't want to be here. If we'd been told from the beginning what was going on then we'd have left a long time ago." He glanced back at the Hammersley. "So now what? We go now? Leave our men behind?"

Price shook his head. "It's too late for that. If you go back in there you will become the target of the Americans and if you go home you will be incarcerated." He sighed. "I'm sorry Mike but whatever you do now will not end well for you and your men."

"So we're damned if we do and damned if we don't then?" Mike realised. Price nodded. "Well, it that case we're getting our men back." Mike continued.

Price scoffed. "Loyalty is one thing Flynn, but you're insane. You saw what they did to the French. Yes, that was the Americans. And Avenger. Ben Hur. They'll do that to your men if they haven't already. They want you."

Mike frowned. "Then they can have me." He picked up the Kanimbla's radio. "Hammersley, 82 this is your captain." He heard the click of RO putting him onto the loudspeaker and could almost hear his own voice echoing out of every speaker on the small patrol boat beside him. "Everyone prepare for shore search. We're going to find our men before the Americans do." He put down the radio then turned to Price. "We'll get out of your hair Price. I wouldn't want us to bring you down from your pedestal." He knew it wasn't Steven's fault but he couldn't help but hate him. All this time Price had known that every day they stayed on Libertile the closer they were coming to being hunted by American special ops. How could any normal person live with that?

Then Mike remembered that Steven Price wasn't a normal person.

As Mike turned away from his old friend Price sighed. "I'm sorry Mike." Ignoring him Mike walked away.

* * *

Kate shook her head. "I'm sorry sir but this is madness."

"Exactly what Price has made it. What he always makes it." He fought back the urge to hit something. "I should've guessed when he first turned up. I should've known."

Kate frowned. "Known what?" She moved to look at him. "Mike?"

Mike calmed down and met Kate's eyes. "Price. I should've known he knew. He never does anything without knowing first what he's facing. He's not like me. Impulsive, a Pieces person." He gave a dry laugh at his own stupidity. "Price is a Chances person. Sits back, calculates, knows everything first." He looked away, his face expressionless but just the smallest hint of anger. "If he had just told me, just a hint about who was here, I would've gone earlier."

"But sir, he did tell you. The Priarial search. The Signet-5. We guessed then that the Americans were here but we didn't leave. You can't blame Price for that."

Mike glanced at her. She was right as usual. He gave a small nod. "Yeah. Well, it's too late now. We overstayed our welcome and now we have to get the men back." He shoved his hands in his pockets and started downstairs to prepare for shore search. But Kate's voice waylaid him.

"You can't blame yourself for this Mike. Your men made their own decisions to follow you, and they did. They would follow you into hell if you thought it a tactical move."

Mike sighed. He knew that. "And I think that's what I've just done." Then, with a weak smile, Mike left the bridge.


	44. Chapter 43: Paying The Price

Chapter Forty-Three:  
Paying the Price

The strength and loyalty of Mike's men shone through as he looked at them all on deck. More than any other shore search had ever had before, everyone that could go was prepared to go. From the not long ago captives like Buffer, to the seriously injured but grimacing through the pain Corporal Murray (who had assured Swain that he could still fight with a badly-broken jaw), everyone that could fight had. Including, Mike was shocked to see, Able Seaman Stone. He went to the Stuart man.  
"Able Seaman?" He asked frowning at the man.  
Platters seemed to guess the question. "Sir, Budgie is my friend. While they have him, I stand beside you in helping get him back."  
Mike nodded. "I understand that Able Seaman Stone, but how can I trust that?"  
Surprisingly it was Archie who answered. "Sir, I have a reason." Mike looked at the Able Seaman and Archie continued. "Sir, when Seaman Murphy and the others found me, I was alerted to their presence by Scruffy's voice." Over beside Seaman Webb Scruffy blushed a little. Archie kept going. "Platters and Budgie heard her too. Budgie told me later that when he'd heard her voice it was a relief. They didn't want to work for Lyons anymore. They took their chance and gave themselves up."  
Haynes stepped forward. "I believe that sir. They never fought capture and were very good."  
Mike nodded then looked at Platters. "Okay, you may join us." Platters smiled and stepped back wit the others. Mike continued. "Some of you may have to reconsider whether you're up to this." His eyes danced between Buffer, Bomber and Murray who all looked rather worse for wear. But none of them moved. They all wanted to fight. Finally Mike gave in. "Okay." He counted them mentally. Including himself, there were 21 ready to fight. Their biggest boarding party yet. He smiled at the men and women before him. Whatever lay ahead, he had his men on his side.  
He glanced up at Kate as she joined them, dressed for shore search. She frowned at his questioning look. "You are not leaving me out of this sir. Charge has the ship."  
Mike nodded, not bothering to fight her. Instead he just looked to the others then up at the Kanimbla behind him. "Well, here goes nothing." He muttered quietly to himself. Then, turning back to his men, they started for the RHIBs.

* * *

"Charlie, Princess, take the RHIBs ten metres off the coast and wait for us there. Any sign of movement on the beach I want you to radio us. The last thing we need is for them to go after the Hammersley again while there's less than even a skeleton crew on board." The pair nodded and turned the RHIBs away from the shore. They parted, Charlie headed right and Princess staying to the left of the Hammersley. They, hopefully, had all areas covered. But seeing how quickly and quietly the Americans had stolen Budgie and Rhino the night before, one could be sure. As for Mike and the others, they headed in land.  
"Where do we start?" The X asked, glancing at him with a look that simply said she questioned him. Mike didn't blame her. He was about to question his answer too.  
"Somewhere we know they'll be waiting for us. Somewhere we can be sure they'll find us."  
Kate took a deep breath, glanced at the others with them, then nodded. "Yeah, you're probably right." She looked apprehensive then motioned Swain over. He joined them with a brave face. "Swain, you seem to know this place better than the rest of us. Where do you think we'll be able to attract the attention of the Americans?"  
Swain frowned. "You want to…" He looked at the CO then fell quiet. "Yurnijak. It's the closest point to their side of the island. But it will take us a good three hours to get there."  
The CO nodded. "Then that's where we go." He grabbed his radio. "Hammersley, it's your Captain. Just informing you the group are headed to Yurnijak Charge."  
Charge's voice came through. "You got it sir. Oh, and Price contacted us just after you left. He wanted to talk to you."  
"What did you tell him?" Mike asked, glancing at the X with raised eyebrows.  
"I hope you don't mind sir but I, uh, kinda told him to bugger off."  
The CO smothered a smile. "Yes, well, we'll talk about this when we get back Charge. For now we just have to inform you that for a while here on we may lose radio contact with you and the RHIBs. So, if anything happens to us, we'll fire a flare. If anything happens to you do the same. Okay?"  
"Yes sir. Good luck sir." Charge returned and then the radio fell silent.  
The CO glanced at the X. "I guess we better get moving then."

* * *

1136

"How far would you calculate we are from Yurnijak?" The CO asked Swain.  
Swain frowned. "40 minutes max." He said, glancing at his watch. It was nearing midday and everyone was getting tired. Their pace had slowed dramatically and now they all (the CO included) seemed to be more trudging than walking through the bush.  
"So, we shouldn't have any contacts then?" The X asked, looking apprehensive. She silently motioned to a small selection of bushes in the distance. They were moving quite ferociously, not the type of behaviour they had come to expect from the Americans.  
For this reason the CO called out to them. "Who's there?"  
Five men stood up, unarmed and holding their hands aloft in surrender. Able Seaman Stone stepped forward. "Sir, they're from the Stuart."  
Mike glanced back at the Colonel who was now glaring at the men of the Stuart. Despite knowing the Americans had been behind Ben Hur's death, the Colonel still hated the Stuart men. Mike didn't blame him. Even if they hadn't been behind Ben Hur, they were responsible for Caesar and Pierce. Nonetheless, he motioned them forward while lowering his weapon. Cautiously they came to him and one of them spoke. "Lieutenant Commander Flynn?" He asked.  
Mike nodded. "Yes. Able Seaman Stone here tells me you're from the Stuart."  
The man smiled, nodded, and held out a hand to shake. Mike ignored it and eventually he dropped it. "Petty Officer Baird, sir." He pointed back to the others. "Leading Seamen Foster and McSpadden. Able Seaman Taylor and Seaman McLean."  
Mike didn't really care. But he played nice. "Okay, well, I'd introduce everyone here but we could be here all day so, instead…" He glanced back at the group. "Buffer?" Buffer stepped forward with a nod. "Take this lot back to the RHIBs."  
Buffer nodded. "Yes sir."  
Mike motioned to four others. "And take them with you." The four stepped forward and then, joining Buffer, the 10 of them set off for the beach.  
Mike just glanced back at Swain. "Now, if there isn't any more Stuartians out here, we should continue."

* * *

1210

Yurnijak was silent. Still. In fact, it looked about dead.  
From the beach near it they could make out the Stuart in the distance, but the islands opposite shielded them from what they couldn't see now and hadn't thought they'd see the last time their presence graced Yurnijak. Somewhere out there was an aircraft carrier. 3 and a half kilometres long and the breadth of 77 metres, the USS Theodore Roosevelt was one huge ship. But more worrying than anything was the large number of people it could carry. And that number, Mike knew, was in it's hundred. Even a thousand plus.  
"What now sir?" Kate asked, glancing at him.  
Mike shrugged. "I don't know. We wait. If the Hellfish wants us, he'll find us here."  
"And then what? We hope they didn't come fully armed with superior numbers? No offence sir, but I worry you haven't thought this one through."  
Mike nodded. "Yeah. Maybe." He glanced around him. "But until we think of something…" He sat down. "We wait."

* * *

1350

Scruffy and Fulton came running back onto the beach. "Sir, we have a problem." Fulton said, catching his breath.  
Everyone jumped to their feet. They barely had a chance to move before gunfire rang out. Scruffy dropped to the ground and it was lucky too as a bullet passed not close to where she'd once stood. Swain, who was near her, grabbed she and Fulton and pulled them aside and back to their feet. Mike, who was closest to Chisholm and the two Privates went with them as the group was broken apart by the gunfire. Then, protecting those with him, Mike and the others made for the safety of their own beach.

* * *

1512

The men of the Stuart safely back in the RHIB and headed for the Hammersley, Mike frowned out at the ship beside it. On the deck of the Kanimbla stood three men. One was Price. Another was Hornet. And the third, Buffer was shocked to see, was Rhino. Buffer frowned. Rhino was on the Kanimbla?  
He turned to Haynes and motioned to the Kanimbla. It took Haynes a second to realise what Buffer was pointing at, then he frowned. "Isn't that your missing Able Seaman?"  
Buffer nodded. "And the man with him is Captain Hornet." He glanced at Haynes. "What is our missing man doing with the American Captain on the Kanimbla?"  
Haynes shook his head. "Beats me. Then it is Price so, yeah, I never really tried to work him out."  
Buffer glanced at Rhino. The man didn't look injured, just tired, and he was struggling to stand upright in the presence of the two senior sailors. Buffer grabbed his radio. "Hammersley, this is Bravo 82. Do you have the Stuart men?"  
Charge's voice came through. "Yes we do Buff."  
"Uh, and can you see the deck of the Kanimbla? Can you tell me if I'm saying things?"  
The three others with Buffer and Haynes glanced up. Spider frowned then looked at the Kanimbla himself. He tapped Bomber on the arm when he spotted Rhino. She gaped silently. Charge's voice came through, sounding as shocked Bomber looked. "Is that Rhino?"  
"I'm glad you think so too. What is he doing on the Kanimbla?"  
Charge's frown was obvious. "I have no idea. And whose he with?"  
"That, my friend, is the infamous Captain Hornet." He glanced back into the bushes behind him. "Try and raise the CO. I heard gunfire not long ago from his direction. I think we have company. If that's the case then I don't want to be in here looking for men that Captain Hornet might be handing back to Price."  
"Okay Buff. I'll see what I can do."  
Buffer put down his radio. "Alright everyone. Back to the CO. I think we might have some good news for him."

* * *

1820

"Pinned down." Scruffy muttered, glancing at the others with her. She looked to her cousin and Kate gave her a comforting smile. Scruffy moved towards her. "So, ma'am, assuming we get out of this alive, can I expect you at the family Christmas parties?"  
The X frowned. "You have family Christmas parties?"  
Scruffy nodded. "We do. Huge things that go from 11 in the morning to well after midnight. Too much food, too much drink and my father singing Christmas carols far too loud." She grinned.  
"Sounds good. How do I get in on this?" Fulton asked with a grin.  
Scruffy shook her head. "Bugger off Tim." She gave a small laugh. "So, ma'am, you in?"  
Kate gave a small shrug. "We'll see. But first let's get out of this yes?"  
Scruffy nodded. "Okie dokie." She glanced at Swain. "Oh, and you're welcome too Swain."  
Swain gave a small smile. "Thanks Emma."  
Fulton pouted. "So everyone gets an invite but me?"  
Scruffy grinned. "Absolutely. You can…" She stopped at the sight of something behind them. A flare. She tapped the X on the shoulder and she turned, spotting it. Unlike Scruffy, however, the X breathed a sigh of relief.  
"He's finally fired it." The X smiled. "Now, hopefully, we'll get some help here."

* * *

2037

They'd been silently camped out here for three hours and now the CO's leg was starting to fall asleep, but he knew better than to go out there and right into the line of fire. They were outnumbered 6 to 1 and wouldn't stand a chance. But at the same time Mike knew he couldn't sit around and wait for the re-enforcements that may never come. What had led him to fire that flare not two hours earlier and pray for help from people he'd learnt never to count on. But it was a desperate situation now. And desperate times called for desperate measures.  
Mike's radio blared and yells came through. The sound of gunshots behind them. It was Archie. "Dutchy's down, Dutchy's down, out in the open. I can't get to him."  
Mike looked away from the radio as Archie continued, his voice finally cut over by Buffer telling Archie that he and Spider would be there shortly. Mike, meanwhile, just glanced up at the three men with him. The three army men looked as depressed as he felt. They were surrounded, pulled into smaller groups by well-trained men and severely outnumbered. They were alone now, waiting to die. He caught the eye of Chisholm and gave him a sad smile. Chisholm returned it slowly then leant back against the tree behind him, scouring the trees again for movement. There was little ahead of them, but behind them there was lots. American voices too. They were getting closer. Then Mike's radio blared again.  
"Australians, Hammersley, this is the Kanimbla." Price's voice came across the radio, the sound of gunshots in the distance behind him. Mike frowned as Price continued. "Your current locations?" He asked.  
Mike picked up his radio. "What do you want Price?" He asked above the noise around him.  
"Your current location Mike." Price said coldly but unnecessarily smugly.  
"Why?"  
"Re-inforcements Mike. I have 120 soldiers who have been sitting in my ship for a fortnight now and are bored out of their minds."  
Mike chuckled. That was Price speak for 'we've come to help'. "Why did you change your mind Steven?"  
Price replied quickly. "Because we're Australians Mike. **** America. They did nothing for us at Kokoda."  
"Good to have you back Price. Hammersley, call in co-ordinates. We've got friends." He relayed his own co-ordinates then listened as the others did too, finding out where everyone was. Buffer had Haynes, Murray, Spider and Bomber with him. The X was with Scruffy, Swain and Fulton. Archie was still alone with Dutchy, but Buffer and the others were getting closer. ET, Nav, RO, Platters and Sims were near the French mass grave. The Colonel and Herbie were alone but by the sound of it close to meeting up with ET and others. They were spread quite far apart and the CO realised just how far as they radioed in. He couldn't believe they'd covered so much distance. From his position their closest contact was the X's group, and they were a good 2 kilometres away.  
His thoughts were broken by Buffer's voice. "Alright, we have you Kanimbla. We've got a man in the open and we need cover to the south to send out a man to fetch him."  
Mike snapped back to reality and looked around. Still no sign of the Kanimbla men at his location yet, but as Buffer was closer to the beach than he was that made sense. So, lifting his gun and training it on the bushes around him, Mike sat back and waited for help.

* * *

Buffer looked to the others. "Alright, we have cover from the Kanimbla. Now, I need you lot to cover me while I got get Dutchy, okay?"  
Murray shook his head. "No, I'll get him. I'm faster Buff."  
Buffer frowned. "Alright, but watch yourself." He raised his gun again and then, splitting up the others to take watch, strode off some distance. Archie joined Haynes and the pair went left. Spider and Bomber headed to the right. Buffer stood back and covered Murray. Watching the young man dart out in the open was an incredible sight. He was quick and efficient like a well-trained soldier should be, and before Buffer had even realised what he was watching, Murray had Dutchy up and helping him back into the trees. Dutchy was wheezing badly and as Murray lay him down they realized why. Dutchy had been hit in the lung. They looked down at him as the young man turned a shade of blue and gasped. But both knew there was nothing they could do. Dutchy seemed to have realised that too.  
"Some… someone just… just tell Lauren what… what happened. The truth. She deserves that." He gave a sad smile. A dying man's wish that Buffer knew he probably couldn't keep but he nodded anyway.  
Then gunfire. It came from Buffer's left and he turned back to the way Spider and Bomber had disappeared with a gasp. A second later Archie and Haynes re-appeared. "Buff, there's about 20 of them ou…" Archie stopped, finally seeing Dutchy. He crouched down beside his mate. "Hey they finally got you?" He said softly, obviously taken aback by how bad Dutchy looked. His usually cheery face was a weird shade of blue-purple and he was grimacing through the pain.  
"Yeah… the… the Am-American bastards." He joked breathlessly.  
Murray shushed him. "Dutchy stop, you don't have much energy left." But there was nothing he could do to help the young sailor and they all seemed to know it.  
Archie pushed himself to his feet, finally overcome. He looked to Buffer. "There's about 20 of them over where Bomber and Spider disappeared."  
Buffer nodded, glancing back at Dutchy. "I know." Dutchy was fading quickly. "It'll be dark very soon. I want you and Murray to take Dutchy back to the beach and call Charlie. Take him back to the Hammersley."  
"Buff, it's pointless. He'll be dead before nightfall. He won…" His sentence punctuated by the sound of footsteps as Spider and Bomber ran back into view.  
"Sorry Buff but whatever you're doing, do it now. There's about a dozen of them right behind us." Bomber yelled, running back with Spider at her heels. She skidded to a halt in front of Buffer. She finally saw Dutchy and her face fell. "Oh jeez." She reached behind her and touched Spider's arm. The seaman had been watching the bushes behind them and hadn't seen Dutchy yet. Spider looked to her then and finally saw Dutchy. His face fell from determined to pained. He took a breath and looked away again, setting his jaw against his emotions. Bomber looked at Buffer. "Tell me we're getting him back to the Hammersley. We can't leave him for the Americans. I've seen what they did to the French." Her voice full of anger.  
Buffer looked at Archie and finally Archie buckled, realizing they were right. "Yeah. Archie and Murray are taking him right now." He glanced back at Spider. "We need to cover their route to the beach." He lifted his radio. "Kanimbla, we have about a dozen Americans coming from the west." The voice of Tiger came through telling them they had it covered. A minute later strong gunfire rang out from close-by but none of it came close to them. Buffer nodded to Murray and Archie and they picked up the still barely alive Dutchy.  
"I'm staying here to help cover." A steely Spider said as they started off. But before Buffer could get a word in Bomber had grabbed his hand.  
"No you're bloody well not, you're staying with me." She said. "No heroics today Webb."  
Buffer gave Bomber an appreciative look as Spider gave in under Bomber's gaze and joined them on their route to the beach. But as they walked with the gunfire around them Dutchy finally took his last gasping breath. Ryan 'Dutchy' Van Gould-Cooper, aged 24, was dead.


	45. Chapter 44: Love's Labours Lost

Chapter Forty-Four;  
Love's Labors Lost

**A/N: **May you all forgive me for this…

_Saturday morning_  
_0235  
_  
They couldn't see it, but the figures on the beach sensed the RHIB make it to the Hammersley. It was then that the figures turned and ran back into the night. After twenty minutes of walking they came across a figure on the ground. Ben double they first thought it was one of their own and got worried, but then the figure groaned and rolled over. Even in the dark they could make out his uniform. He was one of the Americans. The dark puce green colour of the 82nd. But he wasn't dead, just in pain. He appeared to have received a bullet to the stomach and was now rolling around in agony. Buffer raised his gun to the man's head, but Bomber pushed it down.  
"Buff, he's unarmed and wounded. He's no threat to us." She looked into the man's eyes and saw he was in pain. His face etched in her memory now, but still she turned away. "Maybe someone else will put him out of his misery, but it's not our job to be that person." She kept walking.  
Buffer nodded. She was right. Anyway, it was more fun to watch him in pain, the memory of the look on Dutchy's face as he struggled for breath still crystal clear in Buffer's mind. He led the others off behind Bomber. But, unfortunately, the injured man wasn't alone.  
Gunfire ripped the group into two as they walked, headed back towards Yurnijak and their crew. Buffer and the two army men dived right into a clump of trees while Bomber and Spider skidded left behind a rock. Neither group could see the other, so Buffer made the decision to protect the two men he had with him rather than risk exposing the hiding place of the two younger sailors. He grabbed his radio and quietly muttered only what Bomber and Spider needed to know.  
"Make for the RHIB." Then, grabbing the army men and his gun, Buffer started off towards the beach.

* * *

The pair never heard Buffer's transmission. Spider's radio had come off as he'd dived to safety and Bomber's ears had been ringing with the gunfire. Neither of them knew that Buffer had picked up the men he'd had and left them. They didn't know they were alone with a pack of Americans. But Bomber had read the manual and knew what to do. As soon as she grabbed Spider and the pair ducked behind the rock, she told him where they needed to head. The RHIBs and the safety of the beach.  
But now, bunkered down behind the rock, all they could so was sit and wait, hoping that someone else could draw the fire from them. The wait would be long so, settling back against the rock, Bomber tried to relax. But, as much as she tried, she couldn't. She glanced at Spider.  
"Hey, what was it you were trying to tell me?" She asked.  
He looked up from the ground and shrugged. "Nothing of importance." He muttered, not really meeting her eyes.  
Bomber cast her eyes skyward. "Yes, I know, exactly what I wanna hear right now. In fact anything trivial is about all I could stand."  
"It wasn't trivial." Spider said softly, looking a little hurt.  
Bomber turned on him then, placing both hands on his leg to support herself, and pulling a face at him. "Well how'm I supposed to know that if you won't tell me anything!"  
Spider looked uncomfortable, glancing between her face and her hands, and then he shifted. Bomber lost her balance and fell against the rock behind her. She pulled a face that said something had just bruised, but Spider ignored it. "I was just, well, just wondering if, when we get out of this…" He struggled with the words then looked at her. "If you wanted to do something… with me."  
He wasn't in any way straightforward, but Bomber made up for that with her least tactful look and comment ever. "Wait a minute, is that Spider speak for 'you wanna go out'?" Spider faltered, barely managing an English word, before Bomber grinned. "Sure, sounds good."  
Spider frowned and lowered an eyebrow. "Are you being serious?"  
Bomber gave a small laugh. "Oh god you're pathetic Spider." She slapped him on the leg. "Of course I was being serious." She shook her head silently, in disbelief, then smiled at him. "Now, was that really so hard?"  
Spider slowly returned the smile. "Yes. You're scary when you're forward."  
"Awww, thank you Spider. That's the nicest thing anyone's ever said to me." She returned animatedly. She shook her head again. "Now, if I grab a quick snooze, will you keep look-out?" She asked, tilting her head a little in an attempt at Spider's infamous puppy-dog face.  
He paid it anyway. "Sure." Then, watching her lay her head down on the rock behind her and close her eyes, Spider gave a small smile before raising his gun and returning his night vision to the dark bushes around them. More than anything before he now had a date with Bomber to look forward to, and if that didn't inspire him to keep moving nothing would.

* * *

0614

"Ta-da. I'm amazing." Price snickered as she prodded Mike in the side with his shoe. Mike opened his eyes slowly, his rib hurting, and glanced up at the figure. When he realized it was Price he relaxed. "Morning sleepy-head." He glanced around at them all. The three army men were fast asleep. "So, uh, who was on watch?" Price taunted.  
Mike ignored him and stood up, brushing dirt off his overalls. "Took you long enough." He growled.  
Price laughed. "Well you lot are harder to find than the rest. We've packed up who we could find and shipped them back to the safety of the Hammersley. Oh, and guess who else we go for you? Able Seaman De Costa!"  
Mike frowned. "What? How'd you do that? Where was he?"  
"Long story. But let's just say I called on a friend. But first and foremost, let's get you back to the Hammersley."  
Mike rubbed his eyes. "What time is it? Where are my men? And what do you mean 'who we could find'?"  
Price counted the questions on his fingers. "1. It's quarter past six. 2. Your men are either here on Libertile or on the Hammersley." He chuckled. "And 3. We can't find 5 of your men."  
"Who?"  
Price continued on his fingers. "Petty Officer Tomaszewski, Corporal Haynes, Corporal Murray, Able Seaman Brown and, my personal least favourite loss, Seaman Webb."  
"The group that led the 5 Stuart men back to the RHIB." He glanced up at Price. "What about the Stuart men?"  
Price shrugged. "I don't know about any Stuart men. But if you really give a toss about those backstabbing jerks I'll call the ship and see if they're cool bananas."  
Mike shook his head. "No, I'm sure they're fine. We need to find my men."  
Price grinned. "Calm down Mikey, I have men out there looking for them now. If they find anything they'll let me know and I'll p…" He was cut across by the radio.  
"Sir, we have Petty Officer Tomaszewski, Corporal Haynes and Corporal Murray." A voice said.  
Price grinned. "Luck be have you my dear Michael. We have your men."  
Mike corrected him. "You have half my men. Where's Bomber and Spider?"

_

* * *

_

0754

"And I thought navigating in the dark was hard. Navigating in this goddam heat is worse." Bomber grumbled, wiping a line of sweat off her forehead with the back of her wrist. The figure beside her just grinned and kept walking. She stopped, clutching a stitch. "Alright, that's it, I've had enough of running. Honestly, if they're gonna kill us off they could at least do it without all the running and hunting."  
"Stop being a pessimistic drama queen." Spider said, taking the comment as a joke.  
Bomber turned on him, looking like she'd given up. "No, I'm serious. They've split us up in an attempt to take us down one by one, and they've run us ragged, so why not just finish it now?" Spider's smile fell. "I'm tired of this Billy."  
Spider looked up at the use of his real name and frowned at her. Totally at a loss for what to say he just sighed, then eventually thought of something. "But they didn't split us up, did they? Out there everyone has someone else to help them. And here it's you and me. So, if you give up, who's gonna stop me doing something stupid and getting myself killed?"  
It seemed to work and slowly a smile came to Bomber's face. Then, with a small snort, Bomber's trance was broken. And she insulted him. "That's a lost cause Spider." With an appreciative glance in his direction she started moving again. Their peace though was soon waylaid by new voices, obviously alerted by their previous discussion. The young duo crouched down behind a thick shrub as a group of men came running past them.  
Once they were out of earshot Spider glanced up at Bomber, his expression serious. "If I don't get out of this and you do…"  
Bomber cut him off with a smirk. "Who's the pessimist now?"  
Spider frowned. "I'm serious. If I don't get out of this and you do, tell my mum I…"  
Bomber smiled. "You love her, yeah yeah." She glanced around her, looking for the Americans again.  
"If you'd stop cutting me off for a minute." Spider growled. Bomber glanced back at him but he was smiling. "I was going to ask you to tell her I'm sorry for breaking gran's vase."  
Bomber grinned. "I won't ask."  
"Thanks."  
"You can tell me when we get back to the Hammersley." Bomber continued with a smile. They were quiet for a minute, looking about themselves, when Bomber glanced back at him quickly. "So, seriously, that's it? There's no one you want me to tell that you love them?" She gave him a surprised but slightly amused look.  
Spider shot her a cheeky smile. "Just one person." Bomber smothered a smile and lowered an eyebrow at him. "We'll talk about this later." She made to stand up but Spider grabbed her arm.  
"And if we don't get out of this?" He asked, serious again.  
For a minute Bomber faltered, avoiding his eyes, and then she leant forward and kissed him. Spider was too stunned to respond and when he did gather himself he was too late as she pulled away. "Now, come on, let's get out of here." She pulled her arm from his grip and stood again. Spider followed her to his feet.  
They made it to the next clump of bushes without seeing anyone, but the minute they ran for the next one their feet were peppered with bullets. They danced as the bullets imbedded in the ground beneath their feet, Spider grabbing Bomber's hand at the last minute and pulling her behind a large tree as the men approached. They stood there, quiet, as the men passed, just their luck not seeing them.  
"Thanks." Bomber whispered, pulling her hand from his grasp slowly and tenderly. She gave him a smile then motioned to the next group of trees. "Reckon you can make it?" She teased.  
Spider gave her his trademark cheeky grin. "Only if you promise me another k…" They looked up at the sound of voices.  
"Over there, behind the trees." An American voice called.  
Without a look Bomber darted for the next group of trees, but Spider hesitated before running. As such he was out in the open when the Americans came closer. He saw that by joining Bomber he'd be giving her position away and putting her in trouble, so he altered his course slightly and ran towards another group of trees to the south. From the group of bushes she was in, Bomber saw Spider turn away from her and grabbed her radio. "Spider? What the hell?" She called into it. He didn't reply.  
Darting behind a tree Spider caught his breath as the men ran past him, not seeing him. He leant down, rubbing a stitch, when suddenly a bush nearby moved. He raised his gun as someone burst out, almost barreling him over. It was Bomber. He grabbed her arms and pushed her to her feet. She thumped him in the shoulder. "What the hell Spider? No more heroics okay?" She thumped him again but softer this time, more to make a point than hurt him. "We're in this together, remember?" Her eyes blazed with a mix of anger and concern.  
Spider gave a weak smile and touched her cheek. "I'm sorry, no more heroics." He whispered.  
Bomber thumped him again, then looked around them. "We need to head for the beach. I can't raise anyone else on the radio." She tapped her radio. "I think there's a problem with mine. Did you hear me call you?"  
Spider shook his head. "No." He started to lift his radio to his lips when a gunshot echoed around them and they realised they had to move. This time Spider didn't wait and they ran together towards the trees. They got through three sets of bushes before something happened that neither of them expected. Spider tripped. As Bomber reached the bushes she glanced back at him. He pushed himself to his feet and ran towards her, giving her a cheeky and slightly embarrassed smile. And then, all of a sudden, his eyes widened and he dropped again.  
Bomber's eyes followed him and then she cried out. "No!" She said. She looked away from him to see the injured American man from earlier standing behind Spider. He hadn't noticed Bomber, but her cry had drawn his eyes to her. He raised his gun to shoot her, but something overtook Bomber that she hadn't expected, and she drew her gun quicker and shot him right between the eyes. As he fell quickly Bomber went to Spider but as she reached him she knew there was nothing she could do. He'd been shot in the back of the head. Still in a state of shock, Bomber dropped to her knees beside him. She grabbed his radio. "Anyone, I need help here right now. We're surrounded, anyone, come in." She said, her voice shaking. Then, turning Spider over so she could look at him, she lay her head down on his chest.  
**  
A/N: **Sorry! This chapter is specifically for SA who gave me an alternative I could've taken, to ship Spider off to the Kanimbla. He would've liked that. I pulled a Gant on you all. I hope it's harsh and powerful though as that was the aim.  
And I ask you to refer to Chapter Twenty-Eight: All Puppies and Kind Deeds if you have forgotten about the relevance of the man that killed Spider.


	46. Chapter 45: The Monster Inside

Chapter Forty-Five;  
The Monster Inside

When Buffer heard Bomber's call he rushed away from Haynes, Murray and the three Kanimbla men and towards his men. He hadn't even realized that Spider and Bomber had been separated from him, but now he was worried. Bomber's voice was shaking. He found them 20 minutes later, having to stop to side-step a few Americans on the way past him, and found Bomber leaning over Spider's unmoving figure. Buffer guessed the worst and he was correct.  
Knowing he didn't have long before the Americans would appear again, Buffer went to her and prised her off him. "Bomber, come on, we haven't got time."  
"Buffer?" She looked up at him, her face blank and expression. "They've killed him Buffer."  
Buffer pulled her up again, the girl not putting up a fight. "I know Bomber." He sighed. "Come on, we have to move. We have to get out of here."  
Bomber's eyes snapped up. "No. No we don't run anymore. We fight." She lifted her gun in a shaking hand and Buffer guessed her stages of grief had rushed straight to anger. Her eyes flashed with malice and she pulled her arm out of Buffer's grasp. There was nothing Buffer could do but watch as she ran off into the bushes.  
He turned his attention to Spider and lifted the Seaman's body, hiding him in the trees. He placed a hand on the young man's shoulder and spoke to him softly. "I'm sorry Spider. We'll come back for you, I promise." And making sure he couldn't be seen, Buffer rushed off after Bomber.

* * *

Bomber was running on an energy she didn't realise she'd had. It was a mix of two things, two very opposing ideas. One was anger, a desire to kill every goddam American she came across and make them pay for what they'd done. So far she'd killed three already, their bodies lay around her as she'd collapsed against a tree catching her breath. And now she was watching a fourth one who was prowling amongst the trees, having heard Bomber's bullets but not seeing her. He radioed his friends, his voice coming across the radio of a man lying beside her. He was calling their names, keen for any kind of response. "Watson, Ronson, Doyle, you there?" He repeated the message. As he did he got closer and closer and slowly Bomber raised her gun. With a quick shot the man fell, struggling for breath. Bomber watched him fall, her face devoid of emotion. Then, lowering her gun again, she leant back against the tree.  
Buffer heard the gun shot, the fifth in a row, and assumed the worst. Surely Bomber was finished, outflanked and outgunned. But as he got closer he saw the body of an American soldier, shot in the throat, and he realised Bomber had been there. The soldier, he noticed, was still alive but fading quickly. Unlike Spider who had died straightaway, this soldier had been killed in such a way that it would be slow and painful. It was the kind of cold and calculating death that Buffer would never have expected from Bomber. He suddenly realised he wasn't dealing with the Bomber he knew anymore. And it was all because they'd killed Spider. Unlike many on the ship, Buffer had noticed the growing bond between Spider and Bomber. He'd noticed how they'd come to feed off one-another, whether it was an insult, a kind word or even just the usual talk. Every breath they took strengthened the other. But now Spider was dead, Bomber was only half an entity. And clearly that half was enraged.  
Bomber stared down at the bodies of the men she had just killed and finally her emotions had got the better of her. The reality of what had just happened finally washed over her. Spider was dead. Billy Webb, aged 19, was dead. She fought back a hacking sob, the pain ripping her apart inside. She knew her coughs would eventually give her away, but she kept crying, not caring if anyone killed her now. At least in death she'd be with Spider. Sure he'd made her life a misery, infuriated her and caused her trouble, but in the end he had been there for her every time she needed him. Every time she felt weak. Every time she hurt. He'd helped her fight off Finn McLean. He'd fought alongside her at Samaru. He'd saved her from falling off the edge of the boat during the graunch boarding. He'd pushed her under cover as the Hammersley fired on Walsman's boat at Samaru. He'd gone after her when the Libertile islanders had kidnapped her. He'd risked his life to carry her to safety too. He'd pulled her behind the tree when the Americans came after them. He'd listened when she'd needed to talk. But now he was dead. She gripped her hands as they started shaking. He was gone. Dead. And all she could remember of him now was the many times he'd teased her, how jealous she'd felt when he was with Carly Walsman, and nearly pushing him off the FFV during the training exercise. But she knew there was more than that. More than just memories. He'd loved her, something few had said to her in a long time, and if she was now being honest with herself she loved him too. That was the second emotion that had powered her forward to kill those Americans, her love for Spider. But none of it mattered now. They'd won. She'd lost. Spider was dead and she was terribly alone.

* * *

Bomber's crying did give her away, but only to Buffer who followed the sound of her coughing sobs to where she sat. He frowned at the sight of her, surrounded by death, before pulling her to her feet again. She looked up at him, the tears falling down her face.  
"Come on. Let's get back to the Hammersley. Can you run?" He noticed a bullet in Bomber's left arm but clearly she hadn't noticed it. The adrenaline running through Bomber's veins stopped all pain, for now. Bomber just nodded silently and Buffer smiled at her sadly. "It'll be alright Bomber."  
Bomber's bottom lip shook and she bit it to stop it. "How will it Buffer? Will he magically come back to life if I don't give up? No. So what's the point?"  
Buffer sighed. "Stop it Bomber, you're not helping yourself. You'll just make yourself sick thinking like this."  
Bomber looked away from him. "I am sick. I feel like someone's taken an ice-cream scoop and just removed everything inside me except the memories. And then they just replaced it with pain, this screaming and burning pain. I don't care about anything anymore. Especially not myself."  
Buffer tilted her chin to make her look at him. "And you think Spider would like that? Like to hear that you've given up? You know why he liked you Bomber, cos you were a fighter. You fought him, you fought me, and you never gave up. So do you think he'd like to think you were giving up now?"  
Bomber sighed. Buffer was right, as usual. She looked away from him. "I don't… I don't know what to do anymore." Up until now she'd been so certain about everything she did, even when she knew she shouldn't be. Certain everything would end okay. Everything would be good. But she'd been so certain before that she and Spider would make it back to the Hammersley alright where she could ask him about his gran's vase. She'd been so certain she'd get a chance to kiss him again. But now he was gone and everything she'd believed in was gone with him. She looked up at Buffer. "I don't know what happens next."  
Buffer smiled. "Welcome to the real world." He lifted his radio. "But what happens next is, we get out of here, okay?"  
Bomber nodded. "Yeah." She watched as Buffer radioed the others, telling them where he and Bomber were, then he looked back at Bomber with a sad smile. When he was done Bomber returned the smile. "Buffer."  
Buffer grunted a reply, now scanning the bush around them for any more Americans. "Yeah."  
"Thank you."  
Buffer glanced back at her. "You're welcome Bomb."

* * *

Buffer's radio blared as Haynes responded. "We'll be with you in a second Buffer." True to his word Haynes, Murray and Fulton appeared to help the Navy men to the beach. Murray went straight to Bomber, strapping her arm tightly with a bandage he pulled from a pouch at his waist. He then reshouldered his gun and peered around him as Haynes and Buffer spoke.  
"Spider's body is in there." He motioned back towards the bush he'd hid Spider in. "You'll bring him back? I don't think I can do it."  
Haynes nodded. "Of course, I'll get Murray and Fulton to get him." He motioned Murray over. Without words he pointed to the bushes and they ran off. Haynes led Buffer and Bomber back to the beach where the RHIB sat waiting for them. In it was an injured Swain and a bloody Kanimbla soldier clutching one of his mates who was struggling with a bullet to the stomach. The still shaking Bomber joined them but Buffer stopped on the beach, waiting for Murray and Fulton. Before they could appear gunfire sounded and Buffer waved the RHIB away, reshouldering his gun and ducking back into the trees. Bomber could only stare back at the beach as she was rushed back to the Hammersley.

**A/N: ***hides from Spider/Bomber fans* Oh come on now, be nice. It was still very Spider/Bomber. *ducks tomatoes* Not cool!


	47. Chapter 46: Goodbye

Chapter Forty-Six;  
Goodbye

The bridge was deathly silent, waiting for answers. Princess' RHIB had returned on 20 minutes earlier with many of the Hammersley's men aboard, but not the one Bomber was waiting to see.  
She wasn't sure why she was so desperate to get him back to the Hammersley, maybe it was the knowledge that onboard he was safe from the Americans' sick forms of markings, but whatever it was she'd been sitting on the bridge deck for the last half an hour just waiting. Twice now she'd tried to be led inside by others, but she'd stayed put, crossed-legged and waiting. Eventually it was Nav that delivered the news she had been waiting to hear.  
"Bomb?" She asked cautiously, stepping out of the bridge. "The other RHIB has left the shore."  
Bomber stood and looked out towards the island. Indeed there, in the distance, the second RHIB was speeding towards them. She rushed from the bridge as the RHIB came closer. Nav and Scruffy followed her down to the deck as the RHIB was raised. They could see Buffer standing on the edge, watching them. Bomber's eyes asked him if they'd found Spider again. He nodded solemnly. Scruffy hugged Bomber as the two army men lifted Spider's body from the RHIB and carried it down onto the deck. Passing the Navy girls, Murray gave Bomber a sad smile. She didn't notice it, but Scruffy gave him one back. They carried Spider inside to the austere with the other bodies. Eventually Bomber looked up from Scruffy's shoulder.  
"I want to go see him." She whispered.  
Scruffy frowned. "Bomber, no, you really don't. It'll only hurt more."  
Bomber's bottom lip shook. "It couldn't hurt anymore than it already does." She pushed off Scruffy's arm and followed Spider down to the austere. Scruffy and Nav followed for support. They arrived as Murray and Fulton lay the Seaman's body down. Buffer, who had walked with them, looked up at the girls. Nav waved him out and Scruffy ushered the army men from the room as well, leaving Bomber and Spider alone. Glancing at the other figures around him, all of them already covered in sheets, she made a mental count. At the back was Scruffy's boyfriend Black Box, killed by the French. Then was Caesar and Pierce, killed by the Australians. Finally was Dutchy, killed by the Americans yesterday, and now Spider. She looked down at him, touching his cheek softly. He was still warm, but his eyes were devoid of it's usual light. His cheeky smile lingered at the corners of his lips and Bomber touched them softly knowing she'd give anything to see that smile again. She awoke from her thoughts as she felt tears on her cheeks. One dripped off her cheek and fell onto her hand. She wiped her hand on her overalls then leant down and pressed her cheek against his. For how long she lay there she didn't know, but finally there came a voice from the door. It was Nav.  
"Bomber?" She asked. Bomber looked up at her and gave her a sad smile. "How are you?"  
Bomber nodded. "I'm alright." She looked back at Spider with a sad smile then, leaning a hand on his cheek, leant down and kissed him softly. "Bye Spider." She whispered to him, fresh tears splashing on his skin. Then, pushing herself to her feet, she left the room.

* * *

_0958  
_  
Price called on them not long after the last RHIB, which Mike himself was in, arrived at the Hammersley. Mike took the call from a heavily frowning RO and agreed to Price's suggestion that they talk aboard the Kanimbla. So, calling on Charlie, they headed to the Kanimbla. Mike's eyes stayed on the island the entire way across. Four men. The island had now claimed four of his men. How many more would he lose in this futile battle?  
"Mike." Price said, serious and quiet in a way that Mike had rarely seen him before now. "Shall we talk in my cabin?" He asked.  
Mike nodded and followed Price back to the room. Price had two cups of tea waiting for them, and two chairs, but Mike took neither. Instead he just stood against the bulkhead next to the door, watching Price and wondering what he was about to hear.  
"You might want to take that seat Mike. What I'm going to tell you took even me by surprise when I first heard it."  
Eventually, fighting his stubbornness, Mike sat down. Still he ignored the tea. "What do you have now Price?" He asked, his tone defeatist. Any news from Steven Price was always bad news, and this seemed to be no exception.  
"The truth, about the Americans. So, where do you want me to start? Hellfish or Hornet?"  
"How did you get De Costa back?"  
Price frowned. "That means Hornet." He turned to the computer and pulled up a file. "Captain James L. Hornet. 31. Ship: USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71), Nimitiz-class Aircraft Carrier. Position: Commanding Officer. Base: Naval Base San Diego, California. Affiliation: United States Navy (USN)."  
"This doesn't answer my question Price."  
Price tapped the screen. "It does. It was Captain Hornet that returned to me, just after you left, your Able Seaman."  
Mike frowned. "But, why?" He shook his head. "That doesn't make any sense. His men took Rhino and Budgie."  
Price shook his head. "His men didn't, Hellfish's did."  
Mike finally caught on. "You're telling me that we're dealing with two different lots of Americans? Some sort of three-way enemy?"  
Price shook his head. "Hornet and the men on the Roosevelt are not our enemy."  
"Uh, if you don't recall, they drugged my XO."  
"So she'd forget and you'd go home. They know it isn't safe here for you. They don't want you here. It was Hornet that suggested I help you find the Priarial's Signet-5."  
"The Signet-5." He frowned. "We found a second one after they took Rhino and Budgie. Why would Hellfish need a Signet-5?"  
"It wasn't his. It was Hornet's. This is why Hornet is worried and wants you to leave as soon as possible. I better tell you the whole story."  
Mike nodded. "Yeah, from the start if possible."  
Price took a deep breath. "Since August last year Colonel 'Hellfish' Stuart has been watched by the American Government. There have been rumours flying around that he'd been having dealings with certain people, some of them America's enemies. I can't say who for sure, but Hornet thinks for the President to pull out these sorts of measures we're talking Iranians or Chinese. They're saying he's getting his men to search the globe for uranium. And this time he's struck gold. Apparently, when the American Government realised there was uranium here, they didn't send the 82nd. However, tapping into the radio frequencies of their own men, Hellfish found out. He went AWOL and got his men down here. No one knows how but he dropped off the radar from December last year until May this year. It was then that they discovered he was here, searching for uranium. The American Government could not be sure Hellfish hadn't already called on his friends from the enemy countries to aid him, so they contacted him telling him to stay and that they'd send support for him. It appears he genuinely believes the Government are not on to him. They sent down the Roosevelt, the only large ship spare and one that wouldn't appear to be after anything. They arrived here in August this year. Ever since then Hornet has been keeping an eye on Hellfish as well as offering him what he needs. It was the Government's order to allow the Hellfish to roam free across Libertile. Hornet is worried it wasn't their best idea. Especially seeing as no one expected you lot to blunder in unannounced. But the American Government has bigger fish to fry than some stupid little patrol boat and are ignoring Australian Government suggestions to pull Hellfish in early. They claim they don't have enough evidence to charge Hellfish yet and therefore are letting him go to get some. Naturally their desire for the uranium is also driving this, as well as the knowledge that they will be stealing French uranium right out from under their noses. The American Government are a fickle bunch, but they have the power so who be I to question them?"  
"Wow!" Mike eventually muttered softly after regaining his senses.  
"There's something else." Price added as Mike tried to take in everything he'd just heard.  
"What are you going to tell me now Price? That there's an Arleigh Burke or Wasp out there somewhere filled with Navy SEALs? Because, honestly, right now nothing would shock me."  
Price shook his head, looking serious. "No, nothing like that. It's about Hellfish. I spoke to Hornet and well, he's worried. He thinks the Hellfish is onto him. That means, god forbid, he could do anything."  
"What do you mean anything?" Mike frowned.  
Price shook his head. "The day has just begun Mike. I mean… anything."  
"So what do we do?" Mike asked.  
"Nothing yet. We can't tip him off. For now you keep looking for your man. I'll try and find out more from Hornet. But I'm afraid we can't deliver him to you the same way we delivered Able Seaman De Costa. It'll look too suspicious. But anything I find out, anything that will lead you to him, I'll pass on. And, of course, I'll send men."  
Mike sighed. "Okay." He stood up to leave then stopped. "Why has it taken you so long to be honest Price?"  
Price shook his head. "You know how it is Mike. Everything is need to know."  
"But up until now. Everything you've said. Has it all been a lie?"  
Price frowned. "It's about barriers Mike. About building a wall between what you have to do and how you feel. By doing this I can fulfil the one duty I love doing – going home to my wife. Leslie needs me to come home after missions so I do. And if that makes me cold or irrational in your eyes than so be it. I can live with that. Now, get off my ship."  
Mike frowned at him then turned to leave. "Sure Steven." He muttered under his breath.  
But Price surprised him with one last comment. "Oh, and Mike." Mike glanced back at the Kanimbla captain. "I didn't lie about everything. I did like Spider." He gave a sad smile. "He reminded me of me when I was his age."  
And leaving it at that, Mike left the Kanimbla.

**A/N: **Told you Pricey was a big softie. Awww. Sweetums.


	48. Chapter 47: The Phoenix

Chapter Forty-Seven:  
The Phoenix

The X glanced up as Mike returned to the bridge. She frowned at the look on his face. "What did he have to say for himself?"  
The CO shook his head. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you."  
"Try me."  
Mike looked at her. "It's a long story."  
Kate gave him a look. "Then give me the short version."  
Mike took a deep breath. "Hornet is on our side. Hellfish is wanted by the American Government for illegal dealings with enemy countries. That said, America wants the uranium."  
Kate frowned. "What else? That there's a boatload of Navy SEALs out there as well?"  
Mike gave a small smile at how similar he and Kate thought. "Thankfully no, but if one turns up try to look shocked for Price's sake." With a sigh he sat down in his chair and glanced at Nav. "What are you doing Nav?"  
Nav was pouring over a scrawled on map that Mike recognised as Scruffy's. She glanced up with a smile. "Just making sure there aren't any more hidden 'islands' out there sir. Aircraft carriers usually never travel alone. I just wanted to make sure this time it was special."  
"Good idea Nav." He nodded at her and she gave him a brief smile then went back to work. Mike glanced at the X. "Where's Able Seaman Brown?"  
"Bomber's on the deck sir. Swain suggested she get some air, calm her down."  
Mike stepped outside and tried to see her. He eventually spotted her sitting cross-legged with her arms curled around the railings at the front of the ship. She was staring out at the island, lost in her thoughts, and despite not being in the safest position Mike decided not to disturb her. He just suggested they watch her, if only to ensure she didn't get washed away.  
"What about Rhino?"  
Kate shrugged. "Still with Swain. He said he'll come to us when Rhino is ready to talk."  
Mike nodded. "Okay." He sat down again and looked out at the island with a sigh. More waiting. Waiting to see what trick the Americans had up their sleeves next.

* * *

_1307  
_  
"Sir?"  
Mike glanced up a Swain joined them on the bridge. "Rhino?"  
Swain nodded. "He's alright to talk to you now sir."  
Mike smiled then glanced at the X. "Let's go see what the story is."  
They found Rhino in his cabin, dunking Butternut Snaps into a cup of coffee. He looked like he'd just raided the storage cupboards for biscuits as the packet of Snaps sat on the desk next to him beside a packet of Iced Vovos. He explained however that it was Charlie's way of helping him recuperate. "Coffee and Arnotts seem to be that man's answer to everything." Rhino chuckled as they eyed the cookies. Having not realised herself they even had Iced Vovos, Kate helped herself to one then took a seat as Rhino told them what he could remember. "I'm afraid it's not a lot. I was asleep in here when they grabbed me. I'm not sure how they did it, but I remember waking up groggily in a RHIB. I could barely move, but I was able to open my eyes and look around. Budgie was with me, but he was out cold. Someone saw I was awake and pulled my jaw open. He dripped something in, it tasted like vinegar, and then I was out again. I woke up on the island, tied up and gagged. Whatever they'd given me left a horrible taste in my mouth. It was disgusting. It made the inside of my cheeks go numb. It was dark, just before dawn I think, but there were people moving around. One of them, I knew who he was the moment I saw him, was Hellfish. He had an air about him, I don't know. He wasn't scary just power-hungry. He had this look in his eyes like I was some sort of prize to him. I tried to look around, see Budgie, but I couldn't really move my head that well. I don't know for sure if he was there, but Hellfish kept looking at someone nearby so I think he was. Then Hellfish got a call. He spoke quietly, glancing at us every so often, then he ordered someone to knock me out. He did, with the butt of his gun. Next thing I woke up in a RHIB again, but it was light. I was untied and ungagged and we were heading for what appeared to be the Kanimbla. At first I thought I was dreaming, but then the man next to me told me he was with Hornet and they were taking me back. The next thing I remember I'm standing on deck listening to Lieutenant Commander Price and Captain Hornet talking. We got back in the RHIB and came here. They left me to climb aboard on my own then buggered off. No explanation, no nothing."  
Mike glanced at Kate. "That's what Buffer saw, Hornet talking to Price."  
"And Price offered no explanation either?" Rhino asked.  
Mike shook his head. "Nothing. He just said that Hornet returned you himself out of his own love for the Australian Defence Force or some crap like that."  
Rhino frowned. "What's going on here sir?"  
Mike shrugged. "Not even I am really sure of that." He gave Rhino a small smile. "Get some rest Able Seaman De Costa. Hopefully I'll have a decent explanation for you when you wake up."  
He and Kate left the cabin. Kate glanced up at Mike. "A decent explanation?" She asked.  
Mike chuckled softly. "Yeah, that'll be the day."

* * *

Bomber sat on her bed, cross-legged and reading. She'd actually now read the same sentence six times, but it was all an attempt to distract herself and it was working. She'd thought about nothing for the last 10 minutes.  
"Bomb?" Came a voice from the doorway. It was Scruffy. "What you reading?"  
Bomber held up the paper. It was the Navy News. "Funny how it finds you, no matter where you are." She grinned.  
Scruffy gave a weak smile back. "Yeah." She frowned. "Look, are you going to come out and do something? It would be good for you, I think."  
Bomber shook her head. "No. I think I pushed it coming out last time. I'm still a bit weak."  
Scruffy sighed. "Okay." She turned away but then turned back quickly, remembering something. "Bomb?"  
Bomber looked up again. "Yeah?"  
"Just remember the phoenix." She gave a small smile. "Things will get easier."  
Bomber stared at the floor, caught up in something, before giving a smile back. "Thanks Scruff."  
Scruffy stepped back into the room. "He's watching over you, you know."  
Bomber gave a weak laugh. "Don't tell me you, Emma 'Scruffy' Murphy, are still religious in all this?"  
Scruffy shook her head. "I wasn't religious before this." She shrugged. "It's just, I mean, we've been through so much up until now and on the whole we've been very lucky."  
Bomber lowered an eyebrow. "Our boyfriends are dead." She pointed out coldly.  
Scruffy bit her lip. "Yeah. But think of how many more we could have lost. We are on a patrol boat in a full-on war over uranium. It doesn't get much bigger than that and we don't get much more defenceless than a patrol boat. But we're okay. You, me and the others. Countless times I should've been killed. You should've been poisoned to death by those islanders. But we got away. I think someone up there likes us."  
Bomber was quiet for some time and then gave Scruffy a smile. "And today's lesson on Pep Talk 101 will be taught by Emma Murphy." She teased.  
Emma shook her head with a laugh. "Not me. Charge. I think he's feeling a little left out. He's dispensing advice and clichés left, right and centre." She gave Bomber one last smile then left. Pushing herself off the bed and standing up, Bomber glanced up with a smile. Then, pulling her short hair back into a ponytail, headed back up to the bridge to tell the X she was ready for another job.

**A/N: ***sniffle snort* Oh Charge, you oversized sweetie. *huggles*

The explanation at the start hopefully cleared up just how messy my storyline involving the Americans is. Either that or confused you more. Fingers crossed it was the former.


	49. Chapter 48: The Stuart and The Hellfish

Chapter Forty-Eight:  
Stuart and the Hellfish

_Sunday morning_  
_0519_

Their Saturday afternoon remained uneventful, the island quiet and the crew preferring to just stay inside and mourn their two young friends. That night Bomber had returned to the galley, spurned on by the X, and had delivered them with the one meal the CO had expected. Chicken parmigana and chips. Spider's favourite. They'd then sat in their quiet ship and spoken, the CO eager to hear stories from his crew about the young members he soon realised he didn't know enough about. Archie spoke fondly of Dutchy including tales of Dutchy's attempts to get the girl from the fish and chip shop to go out with him. At first she'd been cold, but eventually Lauren Fox had warmed to Dutchy's persistence and accepted. They'd been together for 13 months. Buffer had a story of Spider's run-in with an old school mate in his first year on the Hammersley where he'd spent 10 minutes coming up with an elaborate tale about what he was doing with his life before ruefully admitting he was actually in the Navy. He'd then been shocked to hear his mate was jealous and had walked around for the next hour (until Buffer smacked him out of his smugness) thinking he was the bee's knees. They'd retired with stories and smiles as well as stomachs full of Dutchy's favourite dessert – Sticky Date Pudding. But as Mike slept that night he wondered how long this would last.  
The peace of the cool night was broken by a call from Nav. She was rushed, her breathing heavy and scared, and he'd hurried to the bridge. There Nav was being calmed down by a frantic-looking X and Swain who was taking Nav's blood pressure. The X glanced up at Mike as he entered.  
"Sir. The Americans were here not, oh, 30 minutes ago. They came to the bridge."  
Mike frowned. "What? How?" He glanced around him as if any second one would pop up from behind a console and grab him.  
Kate shook her head. "I don't know. Nav says she was pouring over Scruffy's map when someone grabbed her from behind. Covered her mouth and eyes. A few minutes later they let go but told her to keep her eyes shut. She obliged but opened them as soon as she thought they were gone. That's when she called me."  
Mike glanced at Nav. She was shaken but not hurt. "So, what were they doing here?" He glanced at Kate. She shrugged. He picked up the radio. "Crew, to the bridge on the double."  
Barely a minute later the entire crew stood on the bridge. No one was missing and no one was hurt. Mike frowned as he counted them again, ensuring he hadn't missed anyone. But they were all there. He glanced at them. "Did anyone hear anything 40 minutes ago?"  
No one moved. No one knew or had heard anything.  
Mike turned on Buffer and Chisholm. "You two do a sweep of the decks, ensure there's nothing else." They nodded and left. He then looked at Charge and ET. "You two take a look around the inside of the ship. See if they've done anything to the ship itself." They too nodded and left. He then sent the others back to their rooms to make sure nothing had been stolen.  
Kate frowned at Mike as the bridge went quiet again. Swain had led Nav down to the medical room to check her over, but she appeared to be fine. "A sweep sir?"  
Mike shrugged. "Better safe than sorry I think."  
He was proven right only twenty minutes later when Chisholm rushed onto the bridge. "Sir." His eyes said 'follow me' and Mike did. Kate stayed on the bridge. Mike followed Chisholm to the medical room where Nav was sitting in the corner drinking tea and Swain was fussing over someone. He stepped aside and Mike realised it was Budgie. Chisholm explained. "We found him on the deck sir. He looked like he'd just been left there."  
Mike looked to Swain. "How is he?"  
Swain nodded. "Fine. Dehydrated and beaten around a bit, but he'll be fine. I've just given him some painkillers for a headache. I think they tried to knock him out."  
"Dad always said my head was too thick." Budgie muttered with a soft chuckle.  
Swain shushed him. "A bit more rest and he'll be fine."  
"Does he remember what happened?"  
Budgie sat up. "No offence sir, but please don't talk about me like I'm not here." He basically slapped away Swain's attempt to lay him back down. "They knocked me out with something. Left a horrible taste in my mouth. I woke up somewhere on the island, that weirdo Hellfish gloating over me. Then he got a call on his radio and disappeared. They tried to knock me out again with the poison but I wouldn't play along. So they knocked me out with a gun barrel instead. That's it. Then I woke up here, laying on that freezing cold deck with Chisholm here looking at me like I'd grown a third eye." He shrugged then did as Swain was told and rested.  
Mike nodded. "Much the same as Rhino's story." He frowned. "The call must've been from Hornet."  
Swain and Nav both glanced up. "Sir?" Nav asked over her tea.  
He gave them a brief nod and left, headed back to the bridge. He wanted to talk this over with Kate before he made any decisions.

* * *

Half an hour later Charge returned from his internal scour with a grim look on his face. "Not good news I'm afraid." He replied as Mike and Kate glanced up from their discussion about Budgie.  
Mike frowned. "What have you found?"  
"Someone's been messing around in the engine room sir." As if to prove his point he went to the consoles and started up the engines. They gave the sound a car makes when you flood it then died. He turned them off. "I can't be certain yet what they've done but it's a real mess. Could take a few hours to get everything done, and even then we can't expect full power. It will be a long, slow trip home."  
Mike sighed. "Dammit. With Budgie back onboard I was hoping to move out before nightfall." Charge shrugged as Mike met Kate's look. "I've had enough of these Americans X, not to mention dealing with Price's crap. And I don't want any more young men to die over this. I was hoping to leave as soon as we got Budgie back. But it appears that isn't going to happen." He glanced at Charge. "Estimate?"  
Charge glanced at the clock. "12 hours?"  
Mike nodded slowly. "Okay. Go fetch whoever you think can help. I believe the army man Sims knows a thing or two about engines. Get him to help. We've got nothing better to do today so, anyone that won't get in the way."  
Charge nodded back and left the bridge. The CO just glanced at the X. "Well there goes my plans to be home for a lazy Sunday afternoon." The X gave him a small smile then they returned to work. The CO glanced up at the Kanimbla then, frowning back at his work, headed down to his office.

* * *

"Don't you lot ever sleep?" Price grumbled as he answered the phone.  
"Not when we get woken up by Americans attacking our navigator at half past four." Mike growled back.  
Price was quiet for a minute then he gave an angry sigh. "I didn't know they were going to do that."  
Mike frowned. "That isn't exactly what I wanted to hear Price. I was hoping you'd say it was some pre-planned tactic between you and Hornet. Then you'd be able to explain exactly why they were messing around with the engines."  
"They did what?"  
"I can't be sure but right now our engines give the all-too-familiar sound of a sick car."  
Price made a noise like wind through teeth. "Hornet wouldn't break your engine. He wants you out of here."  
"Well it wasn't Hellfish either. Unless Hellfish is feeling bad and decided to return Budgie then break our engines."  
"I'll call on Hornet." Price suggested.  
Mike shook his head. "Is that your answer for everything Steven? Call on a man who we barely know and has offered us nothing in the way of help?"  
"You know how it is Mike. America pulls the strings here." He sighed. "I'll give you a call back when I have an explanation."  
But as Mike put down the radio he knew there would be no explanation offered for him. Instead just the slow, boring wait for their engines to be fixed.

* * *

_1158_

It had been a slow morning, the only sounds those from the engine room as Charge and a few others (including Platters who turned out to know more than his fair share about engines) tried to get the Hammersley back on her feet. Up on the bridge meanwhile everyone was trying to find somewhere cool to retreat. It was a very hot day and with the engines out the cooling system had gone with it. They were running on reserves, just enough to keep the necessities going. Air-conditioning was not one of them.  
Fanning herself with what appeared to be a brochure of some sort, the X glanced at the others on the bridge. The only ones left were RO, who didn't know a piston from a pistol, the CO and the women. Scruffy was standing in the doorway, trying to get some air, as Bomber sat nearby fanning herself with her copy of the Navy News. Nav was still pouring over the map, which had impressed the X until Nav admitted she didn't really feel the heat, then Kate was left just a little jealous. She was English of blood. She felt every stinking ounce of it. RO too seemed to have given up and was now trailing one finger lazily over a sheet of writing. His eyes, however, suggested he wasn't absorbing any of it. The CO seemed to be the only one surviving the heat apart from Nav, that's why it was he and not RO who grabbed the radio when Price's voice came through.  
"Hammersley?" He asked, his tone serious for maybe the first time ever.  
"What is it Price?" Mike asked, his eyes meeting Kate's with a look of confusion.  
"I just got a call from Hornet. He fears the worst. He thinks Hellfish has finally got the evidence he needs to prove Hornet is not on his side."  
"What? What do you mean?"  
"Hornet thinks Hellfish has been in his office, found an e-mail from the Secretary of Defense regarding the warrant for Hellfish's arrest."  
"Who the hell leaves that laying around?"  
"It was a mix-up." Price explained. "Anyway, Hellfish has disappeared. Changed radio frequencies. Hornet can't find him but he suspects Hellfish could be on his way over here."  
Kate put her head in her hands. "How long have we got?" Mike asked.  
"A few hours maybe, assuming he is headed this way. Maybe 5?"  
Mike glanced at his watch as he put down the radio. "I don't intend to be here in five hours." He frowned out at the island nonetheless. How many more hurdles would they face before they were free to go home? And despite his best hopes, Mike knew in his heart the Hammersley had one more fight up it's sleeve.

* * *

_1600_

Charge entered the bridge and everyone looked up at him. He was sweating, the engine room as hot as an oven, but he was grinning. "Good news sir. We should be ready and raring to go in 50 minutes max."  
Mike nodded. "Good. I've already called on Price. He agrees we should be going." He gave Kate a knowing look. Naturally Price hadn't bothered to help with repairs. "So we can set prepare to sail for 1700?"  
Charge nodded back then headed downstairs.  
"So, we're finally going?" Kate asked, giving him a look that Mike interpreted as 'really?'."  
He gave her a wry smile. "Yes X, we're finally going." He gave a chuckle. "I'd say it's about t…" But he was cut over as the radio crackled.  
Colonel Stuart's voice came over their radio, causing the crew on the bridge to stand up and gather around it. "Australians, this is the Hellfish and the 82nd. We're just informing you we have now captured the HMAS Stuart without any trouble and…"  
Bomber snorted over it. "Of course you have you stupid bastard, it's empty."  
Nav shushed her and Hellfish continued. "… if you do come without trouble than I can ensure you will be trialled under American law fairly and need not worry about your lives. If not, we can ensure nothing. If you agree to this than leave immediately. If you have not left your location in 30 minutes, we will launch the fighters. Make the right choice."  
The radio crackled and died. Bomber and Nav looked up at the CO while RO looked at the ground. The CO looked at the X. She frowned. They didn't know what to say. But the next second, the Kanimbla did.  
With a quick burst of cloud a Sea Sparrow shot out of it's loading device and rose up into the afternoon sky. Then, disappearing from view, headed away. They all turned their attention to the radar screens as it picked up the Sparrow barely a second before it came down on the HMAS Stuart. 5 minutes later she was nothing but a wreck, the radar screen informing them she was listing to starboard and now 35% submerged above her usual waterline. 15 minutes later she was gone. 2 minutes after that the Hellfish's voice came across the radio again.

"Thank you for your answer. Launch the fighters."

**A/N: **As if nicely proving that Price has a death wish…


	50. Chapter 49: Under Fire

Chapter Forty-Nine:  
Under Fire

"Are you insane?" Mike yelled into the phone as Price finally picked it up. "What the hell have you done?"  
Price chuckled. "You're right Mike, my aim was shithouse. I was aiming for the bridge but, well, you know, my eyesight's going as I get older." He laughed again. "The point is, I got the damned Stuart once and for all."  
The seriousness of the issue stopped Mike from rolling his eyes. "I'm sure even you, Price, are not so dumb to actually believe Stuart was on the Stuart."  
"No, but I think he got the message, don't you?"  
"And I can only hope you got his message. 'Launch the fighters'. What are your feelings on that?"  
Price chuckled. "There's nothing he can do. They're not his fighters, they're Hornet's. He'll need Hornet's permission first."  
"Great, so, once again, we're relying on a man I don't know, don't trust and can't really stand."  
"But he likes you so much Mike. Why so cruel?"  
"Let's be serious here Price. What are we going to do if your faith in Hornet is misplaced?"  
Price fell quiet for a minute then finally sighed. "Man your typhoon. Worst comes to worst that's all we can do."  
Mike put down the phone and turned to the crew on the bridge. "Prepare for an aerial assault." Then, as the others went to their trained positions in preparation, Mike glanced back at the Kanimbla.

* * *

"What are they carrying?" Mike asked.  
RO held out a basic list of American aircraft. Only one was highlighted as likely to be carried by the Roosevelt.  
"F/A-18F Super Hornets." Mike read aloud. "Top class radars, sensors and agility. Basically the best fixed-wings ever made." He scrunched up the paper angrily. "Fantastic."  
"Well of course the records are going to say that Mike, they don't want to give away their Achilles heel." Kate said, trying to calm him down.  
Mike threw the scrunched up ball of paper at the wastepaper basket by the stairs. It missed and bounced downstairs, coming to rest at the point where the stairs turned. "Yeah, but do we know it?" Kate looked at the ground.  
"We might not have time to figure it out sir." Bomber called from the port side doorway. She backed away and handed Mike her binoculars. Mike glanced out at the island. Two fixed-wings were headed their way from the island side of the ship.  
"So much for 'Hornet's on our side'." Mike muttered. He glanced at ET. "Got them?"  
ET nodded then a second later fired. The bullets clipped the left wing of one of the planes and it spun out of control, hitting the other. Both fell into the trees and were lost in the island. Buffer smacked ET on the shoulder with a grin.  
"Nice shooting Tex." He grinned at the Leading Seaman. ET nodded then kept his attention focused on the skies. He didn't have to wait long as three flew out over the island. ET fired again, the first two bursts missing all the planes as they ducked and weaved, firing on the Hammersley the entire way. The third lot caught the plane on the left and it exploded in a ball of flames. The other two, however, remained untouched and flew right over the Hammersley, her engine noise and the sound of her bullets hitting making everyone on the bridge to flinch or cover their ears. They headed out to sea before turning back and watching the Hammersley.  
"What are they doing?" Kate asked, grabbing binoculars and moving to the starboard door to get a better look.  
"Waiting." Mike answered. He frowned as one ducked away from the other and flew forward. But he was just outside the Typhoon's area and ET growled at the console. He couldn't get it. Charge flinched as the sparks from the bullets hitting the railing outside smacked up on the bridge windows. He barely looked at it though, instead looking at the X. Standing in the open doorway with her binoculars to her eyes, she stepped back inside and shut the door behind her. She leant her back against it and looked over at the other door. Over that side of the bridge Bomber wasn't getting much of an onslaught, but she did have a better view of the island.  
"Here's your answer ma'am. Two more coming." She called behind her at the crew.  
Mike frowned and shook his head. "Okay, ET?"  
"Have them sir." ET said. The crew watched the Typhoon swivel and turn towards the planes. Buffer ordered the fire and ET did. One of the planes exploded spectacularly, evidently having not seen the Typhoon's movement. The other plane had, however, and had ducked out of the way of the explosion. It was now rounding to join the other two attacking the Hammersley's starboard side.  
The X glanced out her side of the ship, not opening the door but merely watching through the window. The three fixed-wings were now grouping together in the distance. They were just out of the Typhoon's range.  
"What are they doing?" Mike wondered aloud. "Why haven't they just fired a missile on us?"  
No one knew, but they didn't have time to hypothesise as one broke away and drove straight towards the Hammersley. They watched as her missile bay opened and suddenly they knew why. The crew of the Roosevelt hadn't packed for this kind of mission. The planes hadn't come equipped with their usual heat-seeking missiles. The ones the plane usually carried, the old style ones that needed to be dropped straight onto the enemy, were all they had. As the plane came in it fired a line of bullets that made a hell of a lot of noise as they trailed down the Hammersley's side. Thankfully well above the waterline. Then, when she looked set to drop, she burst into flames. ET's Typhoon fire had hit home. But from out of her flames burst the second Super Hornet, the plane rotating spectacularly right through his comrade's debris. ET's fire caught this one too, but the third one was quicker. It rounded the Hammersley then flew above, right where they couldn't reach her. She was above the Hammersley and out of the range of the Typhoon's limited turning abilities. Mike swore softly. The only way they could get her now was with their 12.7mms, and that meant sending someone out on the deck. That put them directly in the line of fire, something Mike couldn't risk. But at the same time, not risking it meant a missile attack. And that, if done properly, could mean the end of the Hammersley. But there was only one thing he could do. He volunteered himself.  
Grabbing some gloves and ignoring the fire retardant gear he should be wearing, he opened the door to the deck, the sound of the Super Hornet hitting his ears louder than before. The sound was like something he'd heard only once before. When he was 7 a fly had taken a liking to his ear. Young Mike, who had been preoccupied at the time, hadn't noticed the fly stroll right into his ear and make for the inside. It wasn't until the buzzing sound it made became unbearable that he forced his mother to take a look. Armed with tweezers his horrified mother had managed to remove the fly before it could do any damage. Now, the sound of the Super Hornet, brought that memory back. He shook it away as Kate spoke.  
"Sir?"  
"I need to arm the 12mm. It's the only defence we have against the Americans while they fly over the back of the ship."  
Kate understood but at the same time it was a suicide mission. "Yeah, I know. But you need two men." She stepped forward, preparing to help, but instead it was Bomber that got there first.  
"Yes ma'am." She already had the gloves on and had even found herself and the CO bulletproof vests. She had clearly thought ahead, but the vests would be useless out there. Still, the idea was there.  
The CO nodded. He didn't want to drag a young sailor down with him, but indeed the action of the 12mm was a two-man job and he certainly wasn't taking Kate. "XO has the ship." He said then, taking the vest from Bomber, they headed outside.  
As they reached the gun they finally noticed the Super Hornet. He, however, didn't seem to have noticed them. Instead he was buzzing around the port side of the ship, again trailing a line of bullets just out of sight of the Typhoon. He was taunting them, damaging them, and most of all enjoying it. He hadn't even opened his missile bay and didn't look like he was going to any time soon.  
"How are we playing this sir?" Bomber asked, glancing up at him with her huge brown eyes. She gave him a blank look, but there was a hint of fear in her face. "You and I both know the Super Hornet will need to get pretty close before this can take her down." She said, patting the gun good-naturedly.  
Mike nodded, watching the American as he spoke. "Indeed." He glanced at Bomber. "If I get shot too badly and can't fire you will need to take over for me. Just, whatever you do, don't stop. The aim here is to get the plane within sight of the Typhoon. Then ET will do the rest."  
Bomber smiled. "You got it sir." She glanced at the plane. "How do we get her attention?"  
"Like this." Mike turned the gun in the direction of the plane and started firing. The 12mm was a heavy gun, the type that shook your entire body every time you fired, and with every bullet made a sound like a horsewhip. Normally they wore earplugs when using it, but today they hadn't come prepared. As such Bomber had both hands to her ears as she watched the CO fire. Her gaze was then drawn to the Super Hornet as the pilot's attention was drawn to them. It stopped firing, clearly shocked by their actions, then started again. Both Bomber and the CO ducked as bullets flew in a line barely inches above where their heads had been a moment earlier. The CO, however, kept firing. Feeding the bullets with one hand, Bomber glanced at the Hornet as he turned and drove itself straight at them. Another degree to his left and he'd be in the line of fire of the Typhoon, but right now just out of it. The CO swore as the bullets from the Hornet started again. One hit the bullet-proof vest on the CO's shoulder as he moved out of it's way. The rest rained on the bulletproof glass behind him. The Kevlar vest took the bullet well, but knocked him sideways. He bumped Bomber and lost his grip on the gun. He stopped firing momentarily. Then, realising what he'd done, he returned to his position. This time one of the American's bullets got him in the arm. It entered his arm at his elbow, shattering a bone. He couldn't ignore the pain and dropped his hold on the gun. Keeping her promise, Bomber shouldered him out of the way and kept firing. The Super Hornet made an arc, flying back around to the back of the ship and away from the Typhoon. Bomber stopped, the plane out of sight. She glanced back at the CO.  
"Sir?"  
He shook his head. "I'm fine." He couldn't move his left arm. "Keep going." He said, feeding the gun with his right arm. The Super Hornet then came back into view and Bomber started again. It came back in on them from afar, firing but not getting a decent aim on them. The CO realised his aim was off because the pilot knew if he flew straight at them he'd be in line with the Typhoon. They were somewhat protected. He glanced at Bomber. "Aim for the nose." He yelled above the noise. The nose of the plane, the plane's weakest point, provided them with a kill opportunity.  
"Yes sir." She nodded, tilting the gun up a little. She leant forward a bit, focused. She only moved when a bullet entered her arm. She swore. "Damn it, right where the last one was." Her face scrunched up. "Ooh, bullet on bullet wound not nice."  
"Are you okay?" The CO yelled.  
She nodded. "Perfectly fine sir. Just remembering something." Then, with a hint of malice crossing her pretty face, Bomber turned her attention back on the Super Hornet. Her bullets racked the front of the plane as it got closer and the pilot realised she was going for the kill. His missile bay opened, but then something seemed to catch his attention and the firing stop. Then, to the CO's amazement, the Typhoon sounded. One of it's huge bullets caught the Super Hornet's left wing and the tip of the wing exploded. The plane had been caught in a strong wind from it's right, blowing it into the line of the Typhoon. The missile bay opening had provided the wind with something to push against. The missile bay's doors weren't aerodynamic like the rest of it; they were just large metal doors. The pilot was doomed the second he opened them.  
As it started to spin out of control the CO realised it was heading in their direction. Grabbing Bomber by the back of her overalls, they ran back into the bridge, slamming the door behind them. A minute later the Hammersley shook as the still-exploding Super Hornet smashed into her side just above the waterline. The bulwarks stood firm as the plane ploughed into it then, hitting the railing, fell with a splash into the sea. The CO looked at Buffer but he didn't need to be told twice. Grabbing a fire extinguisher he rushed downstairs to ensure nothing on the deck had been caught up in the fire. Meanwhile Swain, who always seemed to know where to be at the right time, assessed Bomber's arm. The bullet had imbedded almost right in the hole of her last bullet wound and that actually turned out to be lucky. It meant it had only damaged what was already damaged. The CO, however, was soon dragged off the bridge and to the medical room to get his elbow assessed and his arm put in a sling.  
The X just watched him go with a small smile then returned to watching the skies.

* * *

"Don't go on the beach." Price's voice came over the radio.  
Mike frowned and picked it up. "I wasn't planning to." He said quickly, his eyes again scanning the skies for more planes. There didn't appear to be any. "What do you want Price?" The CO, his left arm now up in a sling, frowned at the Kanimbla. He'd only been back on the bridge for five minutes.  
"Hornet has assured me that was the last of the planes. They've put the rest into storage to ensure no renegades or 82nd can get their hands on them."  
"What are you talking about Price?"  
Price explained. "Those planes weren't let through by Hornet. He didn't know they were being launched. The 82nd and a few of Hornet's men got the 82nd the planes and launched them all before Hornet could realise."  
"Finally some sort of explanation, as much as I don't believe it."  
"What reason has he got to lie about it?"  
"Why was he on my ship this morning?" Mike demanded.  
Price was quiet then gave in. "Hornet was following Hellfish. Hellfish and the 82nd came aboard your ship to tamper with the engine. Obviously hoping to put you out of business for a little longer so they could attack. Hornet sent some of his men to aid them and return Budgie. Hellfish didn't know about Budgie, but Hornet believes the men's work on the engines gave him away."  
"What?"  
"The men Mike, they were repairing some of the damage the Hellfish had done. If they hadn't been there well, first you wouldn't have Budgie back, and second you'd still be repairing your engines 10 o'clock tomorrow morning."  
"So, let me get this straight." Mike said, not believing what he was saying for a second. "Hornet sent men with Hellfish to help us?"  
Price sighed. "Scoff all you want Mike, but remember where you are. Your lot should be dead now."  
"We would be, if our chef and electrical technician weren't such sharp-shooters." Mike growled. "Where were you when the 82nd attacked?"  
Price said nothing so Mike gave up. "So, should I ask why we shouldn't go ashore?" He asked warily.  
"Claymores. We've laid Claymores, to ensure no beach attacks."  
"Well that seems like a fancy waste of time."  
"All precautions Mike. You don't know what Hellfish might do. He's crazy bro. Few sandwiches short of a picnic. Wacko. Mental case. White coats… well, you get my drift."  
"Okay, yeah, I get you." Mike put down the radio. "You stupid jerk."

* * *

"Captain." The Hellfish sat down by a tree, the last of his men around him. From here he could see the sinking Stuart, the islands and, if he looked carefully enough, the top of the Roosevelt's tower. "How did my men do?"  
Captain Hornet's voice came through the radio. "I imagine better than you expected James." He replied. "They're all dead."  
Hellfish chuckled. "Oh those Hammersley bastards are good." He put down the radio and looked around him. "How goes it Illinois?"  
A young man nearby stood up, glancing at the device in his hands. It was a Doppler scanner. "They've launched two parties sir. It also appears the Australians have launched one."  
Hellfish nodded. "Then this is it men. We go down in the history books. We don't do arrested, okay?" The men around him nodded back at him. "We do heroic endings, the way we're supposed to." He pulled out his gun and checked the ammunition. He was full but down to his last clip. "Let's see if we can least take a few of these bastards down." Then, sliding back into the bushes, the last of the 82nd disappeared.  
The Kanimbla's landing barge hit the sand first, met by gunfire. The men were faster then it, taking any defensive position they could. They had been told to wait for Hornet, this was his capture, so they did. Twenty minutes later the Americans arrived. Then they ran inland. The 82nd were outnumbered, 12 to 1. They were caught easy, many restrained before they could kill themselves or too many others. Only one of the men, a young sergeant, could finish himself off. Hellfish came easy, surrendering himself when he knew he was outnumbered. The casualty list was small, only two Australians injured and 1 American killed. That was the way they wanted it.  
Half an hour later Hellfish stood on the bridge of the Roosevelt being slapped with the warrant for his arrest. He simply grinned at Hornet. "It's too late though, isn't it?" He said.  
Hornet frowned at Hellfish. "If you say so Hellfish." He turned away.  
"It's already started. A new war over uranium. And that's all I wanted."  
Hornet turned back on the Hellfish. "You wanted to start a war?"  
Hellfish shrugged. "Boredom makes you do the funniest things." Hornet shook his head and turned away. "I'll get off, you know that right?"  
Hornet nodded sadly. "Unfortunately James, you're probably right." He glanced at the two men holding Hellfish. "Take him downstairs and chain him up. Colonel Stuart is now officially under arrest. Watch him like a hawk." Then, dragging the grinning Hellfish away, Hornet shook his head with a sigh.

* * *

Quiet. It was well into the afternoon and the fire fight with the American fixed-wings had long since ended, but the crew on the Hammersley stood on edge. Still they knew little about what the Kanimbla had been doing while they fought for their lives. They hadn't seen the Kanimbla launch their landing barge and drive 100 men around to the other side of the island. They didn't know Price's part in the whole thing. But as far as their own survival prospects, none of it mattered. With their own men they had saved themselves from the 82nd. With their own sacrifice and manpower they had survived Libertile. Then, finally, their radio blared what they both wanted and didn't want to hear.  
"Australians. This is Captain Hornet, Commanding Officer of the USS Theodore Roosevelt. This is a call to inform you that while your actions this evening were foolish, we accept you are our allies and protecting yourselves. Also, we do not fight patrol boats. For that reason we ask you to leave. You have the island to yourselves tonight to gather whomever you have left on there. We will send no patrols. You may regather your dead. A truce for now. But come 1200 tomorrow I expect you gone, otherwise I may have to reconsider this generous offer."  
Mike grabbed the radio and replied. "Captain Hornet, this is Lieutenant Commander Mike Flynn of the HMAS Hammersley, the aforementioned patrol boat. This island is in Australian waters and for that reason we have every right to be here. I cannot ac…"  
But his transmission was broken off by a new voice. Price. "Thank you Captain Hornet for this generous offer indeed. My men and Lieutenant Commander Flynn's will be out of your hair soon."  
Then Price's voice came through, directed at him. "Mike, give it up. This fight is over for us. No one is coming to help. Libertile belongs to America now. That's the way it goes." He sighed. "Anyway, we saw what a top job the French were doing so maybe the Yanks will do better."  
Mike frowned. "Price, they're only after the uranium."  
"And Mike, in Iraq they're only after the oil. You can't fix the world Mike, especially not in a patrol boat. Time to take your men home. Libertile is over."  
Price hung up and Mike glanced back at Kate. She nodded. "He's right. Libertile is over for us." She yawned. "I'm going to bed. You'll see how things are in the morning." Then, turning away from him, Kate left the bridge. Mike frowned out at the dark island before him. Libertile was over.

_Sunday night_  
_2026_

**A/N: **The next, and last, chapter is next. Hope you like the ending…


	51. Chapter 50: Home

Chapter Fifty;  
Home

_Monday morning_  
_0702_

**14 Days, 9 hours, 36 minutes since first arriving at Libertile**

The island was quiet as they awoke the next morning. Quiet, but still a mess. The remnants of the French frigate the Jean Bart were awash on the shore. The American planes they had fired down were just below the surface of the sea behind them. Bodies of the ADF bounty hunters scattered the shoreline, cut down by the Kanimbla and Hammersley's powerful Typhoons. The once solid rock platform was still crumbling into the sea, the last of the Exocet missile still imbedded in it's side. The beaches were slicked with oil from sinking planes and craft. The sea was covered in debris. It was a mess.  
Mike sighed as he looked out at what, when they had arrived a fortnight earlier, had been such a beautiful island. He turned as someone joined him. It was Kate. She smiled softly at him. "It's finally over."  
Mike nodded silently. Whatever came next, the Hammersley had survived Libertile. Everything else would be easy, he was sure of that.  
"Do you think the Americans will declare war in Europe?" Kate asked softly.  
Mike shrugged. "Maybe. Maybe we'll be there. On their side of course."  
"Even after this?" Kate frowned.  
Mike nodded. "Always. Where America go, we go. That's the way we work." He gave her a sad smile. "Prepare to sail. We're going home."

* * *

The Hammersley docked at Cairns base a little after 1500 to the sound of people. The crew looked up to see the dock was packed, not just with Defence Force personnel but also with family. Swain saw Sally holding baby Chloe. Buffer smiled warmly at his sister Isabella. Scruffy saw her father Rembrandt and her brothers. Bomber saw her sister Jessica with her husband Tom and their baby son Alex. But amongst them were family they had hoped they wouldn't see. Caesar's wife Kara and baby daughter Susie. Dutchy's girlfriend Lauren. Spider's mum. The CO saw them all and called his men to the bridge, intending to allocate who was to talk to who, but they seemed to have split it up themselves. Archie insisted on talking to Lauren, his best-mate's girlfriend. Swain took Caesar's wife as he'd been with Caesar at the end. Buffer voted to talk to Pierce's parents. Naturally Scruffy took Black Box's mum. And Bomber wanted to talk to Spider's mum. So, watching his men leave the ship, the CO looked at the X.  
"Someone's going to pay for this Kate. Someone's got to pay for this."  
The X joined him, looking down at the others. Buffer was struggling to hold Pierce's mum on her feet. Spider's mum and Bomber were hugging, crying into each other's shoulders. Kara was in tears while baby Susie, oblivious to the fact her father had just died, watched on happily punching the air with her baby fists. Lauren had collapsed to the ground in shock. "It's not right, I know, but you can't blame one person alone."  
The CO sighed. "You're right." He watched Black Box's mum stroke Scruffy's cheek, clearly happy that Scruffy had made it out okay even if her son hadn't. Baby Alex was now in Bomber's arms as she spoke to her sister. Nav and ET were hugging off to the side, ET allowing her to sob into his chest. He realised he'd lost sight of Rembrandt, until he heard a voice on the stairs behind him.  
"She's always right young man, my Katie." He gave Kate a smile and she returned it warmly. Now the CO knew there was nothing and had never been anything between Rembrandt and Kate he felt better, but he still couldn't believe they were related. It seemed too weird, too coincidental. Too happenstance. But as he finally looked at Rembrandt he noticed the similarities. Kate had the same eyes as him, and the same ears. Even his tone now struck the CO as similar, the way his voice lifted at certain points. They really were uncle and niece. Rembrandt appraised the CO. "Good to finally meet you face-to-face Mike." He offered the CO a hand.  
The CO shook it. "You too Brian." He looked at Kate as he let go. "And trust me, I know she's always right."  
Rembrandt joined them at the window and looked down at the people on the docks, many now leaving with family and friends or with the crewmembers who had come to tell them their loved ones had died. "Can't stay long Mike, have to take my Emma home, I just came to tell you all the charges against your men have been dropped. You're free men. And you'll all be presented with medals, confidential though I believe."  
The X frowned at him. "Confidential?"  
Rembrandt nodded sadly. "Yeah, the word around base is that despite everything you and the others did out there, Libertile never happened." He frowned at the last few figures on the dock. "Your men died for nothing Mike." And with that he turned and left.

* * *

That night Mike sat at home alone, flicking through news channels and hoping something, anything Libertile related would come up. There was nothing. As he started to give up, the doorbell rang and Mike went to the door to find Steve Marshall standing there. "Can I come in?" He asked. Mike nodded and led him inside. The TV was still blaring and Marshall looked at it sadly. "You're looking for news?" He asked.  
"Yeah, I was hoping that Rembrandt Murphy had cracked it and was wrong, but he's not is he? No one is talking about Libertile, it never happened."  
Marshall sighed. "Orders from Canberra Mike, I'm sorry. Your charges have been dropped and the Hammersley and Kanimbla will be awarded medals, but I'm afraid you can't tell anyone about them."  
Mike was infuriated. "I don't want a medal Marshall. I want my men back. We lost 4 people out there. 4. If you don't remember, that's a large number on a patrol boat. Four valued men. And these men had families. What am I supposed to tell them? Oh it's okay your loved ones are dead and no one is recognizing their sacrifice cos, uh, here's some medals?" His voice rose. "This is a disgrace."  
"I'm sorry Mike, there's nothing I can do."  
Mike shook his head. "Then you need to find something to do. Find something out about these men that died, cos I can only tell you what I can tell you. Caesar Royal, 31, married to Kara with a 14-month-old baby daughter Susie. Dutchy Van Gould-Cooper, 24. He was about to propose to his girlfriend Lauren. Pierce Brosnan, 23, was supporting a sick mother. Spider Webb, 19. 19! He was only a kid." He shook his head. "And more than just names and numbers, they had personalities, people that cared for them. Caesar was addicted to Sodoku. Pierce could quote every single line in the first three Star Wars movies. Spider had a deaf sister and could speak sign language. Dutchy was a master at chess and was writing a kid's book with his girlfriend." He sighed. "But more than sailors they were normal people, people you could pass on the street without realising they were heroes. Alex Brosnan, Julian Royal, William Webb and Ryan Van Gould-Cooper. Normal people. Normal men. And now the only thing you can offer them is 'there's nothing I can do'?"  
Marshall took a deep breath. "There's nothing I can do." He turned away from Mike and back towards his door. Then, pulling it open, he glanced back at Mike. "I'm sorry."  
And as he left Mike realized. Libertile wasn't just over. It had never happened at all.

**THE END**

**A/N: **Thank you everyone who read this, loved this, hated this, ignored this or added it to their favourites. Please don't let this slide to the bottom of the fan fictions list, keep it alive. I hope you enjoyed the ride as much as I did. Now I'm off to do _It's A Small World After All_ (which seems so mind-numbingly boring after this, lol). Peace! Thanks for reading…


	52. It's A Small World After All

A Little Bit of Advertising…

Now I've finished Pieces and Chances, and thank you to everyone who read it, I'm returning to _It's A Small World After All_. Utilising my chance to suck in everyone who tried to kill me after I killed off Spider, it's Bomber/Spider. Here's a sneak peak…

**Plot: **The year is 2011. The Hammersley has been lost and many of the crew have gone their separate ways. Among them the ship's fiery chef Rebecca Brown who has escaped to Sydney and found herself a new home on the ANZAC-class frigate the HMAS Parramatta. Now a Leading Seaman with her own boarding party, life seems good – until everything goes wrong. First the Parramatta is called in for questioning about a boarding party gone wrong which ended in the death of fourteen illegal fishermen. Then half of her friends lose their jobs and her date for ranking is put on hold, causing her to work harder to become Petty Officer. Working harder means less sleep and with stress and overtiredness comes bad memories about exactly how they lost the Hammersley in the first place. And then, the one thing she never thought would end the month from hell – Spider Webb joins the Parramatta.  
Himself a newly ranked Leading Seaman, Spider has spent the last three years in Sydney building up a reputation as a good worker and a smart kid. But Bomber can't see this. All she can see is a history that she and Spider had. One that not only reminds her of the Hammersley, but also life before.  
What is Bomber running from? What does Spider know that can make life okay again? What happened to the Hammersley? And what happens when the month from hell, that Bomber thought could only go up from here, actually gets worse?

**Taste Test: **Try Before You Buy!

_Chapter Four: Welcome To My World part 2_

The CO smiled and glanced at his XO. "In that case Bomber, you can give him the tour of the ship. He'll be in Leading Seaman Thomas' old bunk, if you can show him that too." And then the CO and XO left.  
"No freaking way." Bomber said again after a few seconds of stunned silence.  
Spider seemed to awake from his stupor. "Small world Bomb." He gave her one of his old grins. "Well, where's my tour?" He asked with a shrug.  
Bomber shook her head again. "No freaking way." She repeated.  
Spider laughed. "You already said that."  
Bomber gaped, then closed her mouth quickly. "Uh, oh, right, tour." She thumbed towards the stairs off the quarterdeck. "This way."  
For a while they were quiet, Spider just taking things in, but when they reached the men's messdeck he stopped and grinned, leaning on the doorframe. "So, like old times eh Bomber?" He taunted.  
Bomber frowned. "NOT like old times Spider. I'm working for Petty Officer and trying to keep my boarding party under control. You're free to do what you like, just leave me out of it."  
Spider laughed. "Wow, Sydney hasn't been good to you, has it? It's frozen your heart."  
Bomber scowled at him. "What happens with my heart has nothing to do with you. Now, don't you have something to do, cos I've got a galley to run." She turned on her heel and stalked away.  
Spider's smarmy façade dropped and he frowned. For a while now he'd been thinking about what he'd say when he saw her again, and it hadn't been like this. So much for the pre-planned speech about how good it was to see her. So, turning into his room, he kicked the door shut.

_It's A Small World After All is up now_


End file.
